Silent House
by Accidentally The Whole Fanfic
Summary: Eleven years ago, Jack Brennan ran away from home, leaving his friends and family with no clue as to where he was or if he was even still alive. Now, struggling to find his way at twenty-four, he returns to Mineral Town to make amends and start anew. Getting his act together will be hard enough on its own, without the repercussions of his actions constantly haunting him as well...
1. Silent House

Chapter 1: Silent House

* * *

"Hi. Ummm... I... wow. I know. It's been... too long. I know we have a lot to talk about. If... you're okay with that."

Silence.

"I understand if you don't want to talk to me. Seriously, I do. I mean... over ten years... why start now? I can't imagine how hard it must've been for you. I just..." He sighed. "I just want to make things right. I still love you."

There was no response save for the soft hush of the waves, and the sound of the wind.

Jack Brennan shook his head and turned away from the bathroom mirror, heading back out into his cabin. "Yeah, why be all dramatic? I'll figure out some way to say it..."

With a sigh, he flopped backwards onto his bed and let his eyes slide shut. A groan escaped his throat. He wasn't sure if he'd call it being stupid, crazy, or having balls the size of Russia. His parents weren't the sort to hold grudges... when he'd run away eleven years ago. _So what? Eleven years ago, I was the sort of guy who'd abandon his family. Now look at me. _His breathing became louder and more labored, and his eyes squeezed shut tighter as he struggled to fight off the wave of panic threatening to overwhelm him. _No no no NO. I'm doing this. I already spent the money, packed... I can freak out when I get to shore. And then I'm going to see them._

_Why was I such an idiot?_

* * *

A soft rapping on his cabin door woke Jack from his restless sleep some time later, and he mumbled incoherently as he sat up.

"There's bagels in the fridge," he muttered, stretching and grunting as shuffled over to the door and wrenched it open. "...You're not Janet."

Pascal chuckled and shook his head, clapping a hand on Jack's shoulder and steering him out onto the deck of the boat. "I'd hope not, son, but maybe she'll be out here somewhere."

"I think she's from out of town..." The crisp smell of salt and sand jolted Jack's brain awake, and he gave a start. "We... we're here! Already? Oh, God, oh, God..." He felt his head start to throb painfully, and his vision blurred and began to swim. "They... take me back, please. Take me back. I can't do this. They'll... they'll hate..." His voice caught as he tried to bring himself to finish his thoughts.

Pascal shook his head, prying Jack's arms from around his waist. "I'm afraid that won't be possible, son. Where's that determination I saw back in the city?" He sighed. "Trust me... any parent worth their salt would be thrilled to see their son come back, now, you hear me? And you know it damn well. Now let's get you to the inn and get you some tea to calm you down, there's a lad."

The two men slowly made their way across the silent shores of Mineral Town, Jack dragging his feet every so often as his nerves started to jitter up again.

They eventually came to a stop in front of the Juniper Inn, looming large and imposing over them. The silence was only laced with the intermittent chirping of the odd early bird.

"Maybe I should... just skip this part and go right home," Jack suggested, his palms growing sweaty. He wiped them on his pants and sighed. "I mean, I come all this way back and head to see someone else first, I don't know if they-"

"In you go, son, they can wait a few more minutes." Pascal gently pushed Jack inside, closing the door behind them.

A burly, red-haired man sat behind a long bar on the near wall, looking up from his paper and raising his eyebrows.

"Pascal."

"Morning, Doug!" Pascal waved, ushering Jack over to the counter. "How's life treating you?"

"Like a cheap whore," Doug grunted, setting his newspaper down and folding it with a soft chuckle. He set his eyes on Jack, and his eyebrows knit slightly. "Huh, second traveler in a week. That's new."

Jack gulped, and stuck out his hand. "Umm, actually-"

Doug took his hand and shook it firmly, but continued eyeing the trembling young man critically. "You know, I'm probably wrong here, but I'm pretty sure we've met before."

"Well, you see, I..."

"I mean, plenty of people with brown eyes and brown hair, but..." He leaned in even closer and gazed at a small scar running down the side of Jack's nose. He pointed at it, causing Jack's eyes to cross and stare anxiously at the beefy fingertip. "...How'd you get that little fella there?"

"M...Mr. Callahan, it's me," Jack stammered. "I g-got that when A-A-Ann and I were playing in the mines...it's me. J-Jack Brennan."

Doug's eyes widened slightly, and his finger lowered. "Son of a bitch," he murmured thoughtfully. "It _is_ you, isn't it? Little Jack..." He slumped back in his chair and heaved a great sigh. "Son, you scared the _shit_ out of us, you know that? We all thought..."

"I'm sorry," Jack said contritely, looking Doug right in the eye as he did so. "I really am. I'm here to... I don't know." He shook his head. "I want to... make it right. If I can."

"Jack, I-"

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go home," Jack interrupted, backing away and dashing out the door. "But I'll be back, I promise! Tell Ann I said hi!" he yelled over his shoulder as he ran out, Doug trying-and failing-to call after him to wait.

As Jack's feet slapped loudly against the pavement, taking a right onto Harrison Street and passing the supermarket and the clinic, he gradually slowed down to an uneasy stroll. The early March sun, pleasant under any other circumstances, now seemed to nurture the small seed of anxiety that sprouted, knotted, and swelled in his stomach.

He still hadn't worked out what to say.

_Maybe that's it_, he mused, smiling a bit. _Just speak from the heart. Sure as hell didn't have any trouble doing that _before_, right?_

"_Jack_? Jack Brennan? Is that you?"

Once again, Jack was yanked out of his musings by an all-too-familiar voice. Looking up from the ground, he saw a fairly short, pretty, dark-haired woman in her late forties standing before him. Her jaw hung open, and she sputtered as she pointed at him.

"I... oh, heavens, it's _you_, isn't it? The boy from the..." She faltered for a second, and then shook her head rapidly. "I can't _believe_ it, we all thought you'd d-"

"Hi, Mrs. Lipschitz," Jack said weakly, his words swept away by the torrent gushing from her lips. "How's Aja and Mr. Lipschitz?"

"-you back here, not a call or a letter, or a peep, but you're _back_!" she cried, hugging him tightly. "What's it been, eleven years? Eleven years! By the way, dear," she added in an offhanded manner, "Duke is fine, and Aja ran away a few years after you did." She pulled away from him gently, studying his face. "You've grown so handsome. I'll bet the girls never leave you alone." She chuckled slyly. "Or maybe it's the b-"

Jack felt his face grow hot and cleared his throat. "So, umm... Aja left too?" He winced inwardly at his complete lack of tact as he saw Manna's features darken briefly, but the shadow passed by quickly enough that it may as well have never been there.

"Well, yes. She and Duke got into a huge fight... but I don't think she knows we've seen her racing on TV. She's doing great!" Her expression grew tender, and she stroked Jack's cheek, though she looked a bit uncertain. "And Jack... there's something I should let you-"

Jack couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong, but he brushed aside his worries and interrupted Manna. "Mrs. Lipschitz, it was really great seeing you guys again, and I'll stop by to catch up later, but... my mom and dad, I've gotta..." He rambled while jogging backwards, then spun around to jog off towards his family's farm.

"Jack, wait!" Manna cried, running after him. "There's something you need to-"

She skidded to a halt mere steps behind him, and her heart sank. "Oh, Jack..."

If he heard her, he gave no indication. He stood staring blankly at the ruins before him. His childhood home - his parents' cozy, clean, beautiful house - was a complete, sagging wreck. The front door lay near the mailbox, bashed to splinters. The large picture window in the living room was heavily cracked and grimy, and the kitchen had caved in, along with most of the roof. Still, the house remained in better shape than the coop or stable. Only the faded brown barn, its red paint mostly stripped away by the elements, was relatively fine.

The fields were tangled and choked with snarled weeds, broken pieces of lumber, and bits of broken glass glinting dully in the sunlight. The grass was brown and dead, and the soil was littered with rocks and stones. A particularly large one sat in the filthy fish pond near his old bedroom.

"I... don't get it," Jack whispered, sounding dazed. He swayed slightly where he stood. "Did they... move?" He turned around to face Manna, his face struggling to stay calm and blank. "Where'd they move to? They... they moved... right?"

Manna felt her throat tighten, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She suddenly felt very cold inside. "Jack..."

"Please tell me where they moved to, Manna," he pleaded, his voice quivering slightly.

Trying to swallow the hard lump in her throat, Manna straightened up and tried to make her voice as gentle as possible - this was no time to run off at the mouth. "Jack... five years ago... a... a tornado... there was this storm, a terrible storm..." She trailed off as she found her voice cracking and becoming thicker, and looked down at the ground.

"So they moved, right?" Jack repeated, his voice getting higher. "Manna? They... are they staying somewhere in town?" He laughed. It was a horrible, high, false sound, and Manna flinched as it cut through her heart. "It... it's just a home! It's just a home, no big deal! Hey, someone built it before, right?" He spun back around and swept his arm out, gesturing to the fields. "All that _bitching_ I did about working out there, may as well earn my keep now and help Mom clear the fields again, huh?"

Manna stayed unusually silent, though her vision began to blur with hot tears.

Jack finally sank to his knees and pounded a fist against the earth. "So _where the hell are they? WHERE ARE THEY?" _He grabbed a rock and gripped it so hard his hand began to hurt. "_Where are my FUCKING parents?"_

"Jack, listen-"

"I don't need you to say it!" he snapped, tossing the rock back to the ground. His words came out strangled. "I get it. I get it! Okay?"

The dam finally broke, and Manna rushed over and hugged him as he began to sob loudly. She rocked him back and forth, letting her own tears fall without a sound.

Jack shook uncontrollably as he cried into Manna's shirt, his body threatening to collapse completely from the shock and grief. "Mama... Daddy..."

They stayed like that for a while, Manna stroking his hair and humming gently to calm him down. "Okay, sweetie, let's go to my house, alright?" she whispered when Jack's crying had subsided into sniffles. Putting her fingertips under his chin, she tilted his head up so his bloodshot eyes were staring into hers. "Let's get you some tea and we can talk about it if you want, okay? I know it hurts, but we're here for you. Come on, up you go."

He nodded wordlessly, and climbed unsteadily to his feet, allowing Manna to drape an arm around his shoulder and lead him down the street to the winery, while his mind struggled to comprehend it all.

All he knew in that moment was that he didn't deserve to be alive.


	2. Drifting

Chapter 2: Drifting

* * *

Manna gave a shaky sigh as she seated Jack at her kitchen table, grabbing an afghan from the living room sofa and draping it around his shoulders. "Alright, there we go. Let's just get some tea started, alright?"

Jack nodded numbly, his throat too tight to speak. Despite the warmth of the blanket and Manna's soothing humming as she bustled around the kitchen, he was still trembling violently, afraid that if he sat too still, he might break down again. His eyes darted around the room, until he lost himself in the mesmerizing patterns of the paisley curtains. They almost seemed to float, swirl, and chase each other - around, and around... and around...

With a sharp intake of breath and a heavy shudder, Jack looked down at the table instead, just in time to see a steaming mug of tea and a few pieces of toast set before him.

"I know you might not feel up to eating anything right now," Manna commented, sitting down next to him with her own tea and toast, "but it's there in case you want some."

Jack nodded a quiet thanks, managing to steady his hands long enough to take a sip of tea. He looked up when he felt Manna's hand cover his.

She drew in a breath. "Jack, you should know that no matter what may have happened, they-"

"Please don't," he whispered, shaking his head. "I... mean, thanks, but... I can't..." He fell silent again, squeezing his eyes shut.

Manna nodded sadly, then patted him on the shoulder.

The silence was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing, and a rough voice calling out "Hey, babe! You won't believe what old Ellen just told... me... oh."

Jack looked up and stared tiredly at Duke, who stood, speechless, in the kitchen entryway.

"Look who's back in town," Manna chirped, sounding unnaturally bright. "You remember Jack, right, Duke?"

Duke struggled to form a reply, and - for the third time that day - Jack found himself being pointed at.

"What the hell is that little _punk_ doing in our kitchen?" he finally hissed, cracking his knuckles.

"_Duke..._"

"Shut it, Manna, I've been wanting to have a word with this dumb bastard for a long time now!" Duke snapped, prompting Manna to spring to her feet and storm over to him.

"Well it can _wait!_"

"You know damn well what that jerkoff put his poor parents through!" He looked over Manna's shoulder at Jack and roared, "Bet _you_ didn't bother finding _that_ out, huh, you selfish piece of-"

"That's ENOUGH!" Manna grabbed Duke's collar and yanked it down until his face was eye level with hers. "_He _just _found out about everything at the farm_," she whispered venomously, her eyes hard and dark. "_You are NOT going to make things worse for him, and he is NOT Aja, so __**shut it right now.**_"

They stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity, before Duke groaned and pulled away from Manna.

"I'll be out in the vineyard if anyone needs me," he snapped, heading for the door. He paused, and then reluctantly added, "He can have the couch in the den. Just stay out of my damn way." The door slammed behind him, rattling a few paintings hanging on the walls.

Manna heaved a deep sigh, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jack... it's just that with A-"

"He was right," Jack said dully. "I've been a complete asshole." He drained the rest of his tea and gripped the cup tightly, his voice growing bitter as he got up from the table. "I'm off in the city, getting laid, drunk off my ass, having a blast... too much of a wimp to even call or write. I still managed to sleep well at night, and now..."

He drummed his fingertips on the cup, set it in the sink, and stared out the window into the backyard. Aja's treehouse was gone, the maple tree that had housed it looking hardly worse for the wear. With a deep sigh, he turned away and headed for the den, stopping at the entrance to the kitchen and fidgeting for a moment. He shrugged, strode over to Manna, and leaned down to hug her. "I'm going to try and take a nap in the den for now. Thank you, Mrs. Lipsch-"

"Manna will be fine, Jack," she said, hugging him back. She grabbed the afghan that lay over the back of his chair and threw it around his shoulders. "I'll be out here if you need anything, okay?"

Jack nodded, and disappeared into the den.

* * *

_"Ja... Jackie? Jack! Oh, Charlie, come here! Get out here right now! He's here, Charlie, he's here!"_

_Jack chuckled and relaxed into his mother's embrace, grunting and smiling wider when he felt his father join in on the hug. His worries and fears melted away beneath the warm sunshine, and the love radiated by his parents._

_"It's good to have you back, son," his dad murmured. "No matter how much you disappointed us."_

_"You're lucky we still cared enough to worry about you like we did," his mother added warmly, her smile growing as Jack's faded. "You know, you devastated us when you left... we were planning to have another child and get it right this time. I don't know where we went wrong, but some mistakes can be fixed and forgotten."_

_"After all, why feel bad about replacing what shouldn't matter anymore?"_

_Jack's lip began to tremble as he struggled to speak. His eyes darted between the two, confused. "Mom... Dad... I'm sorry, I-"_

_"For ripping our hearts out?" his mother inquired pleasantly, cupping his cheek gently. "For being a failure?"_

_"For leaving us to die?" his father chimed in. His dark brown hair began to blow around in the darkening sky. "For being a horrible son? For shaming our family?"_

_"Dad, please-"_

_"Maybe it isn't too late, Millie," his dad continued, walking over to his wife and draping an arm around her waist. "You know, for that second kid. Maybe if we traded places, _we _could try again. After all, look at how he's been living in the city since he abandoned us. Pathetic!"_

_"Guys, this isn't funny. Stop. Please!" Jack pleaded, looking up at the sky frantically. Thick clouds had gathered above him and were swirling now as the wind picked up. A funnel began to form..._

_"Hey, you've got a pretty good idea going there!" Jack's mom laughed, slapping her husband on the back in congratulations. "_We _weren't the ones who screwed up, why should _we _give up our lives because our first try wound up a failure?"_

_"Practice makes perfect," Jack's father murmured, kissing her on the cheek. He smiled down at his sobbing son, now curled into a fetal position on the ground and wailing for his parents to stop. "Don't worry, boy, we'll forget you as quickly as you forgot us. Hey, you get what you ask for..."_

_Jack's begging and pleading were sucked away into the devilish tornado, along with his body, high into the air-_

"I'M SORRY!" he yelled, his eyes flying open and finding nothing but darkness. He whimpered as he regained his bearings, wiping his streaming eyes and shivering. He was laying on his side on the couch, in Manna and Duke's den. Judging by the look of the sky outside, it was early evening.

"What's going on in there?" a gruff voice called from outside. Without waiting for an answer, the door swung open, dimly illuminating Duke's large form. "Can't you sleep?"

Jack said nothing, staring blankly ahead at the TV across from the couch.

Duke sighed, grumbling under his breath, and shuffled over to where Jack was, flopping down on the only empty cushion. He twiddled his thumbs and looked over at Jack, who made no attempt to return the glance. The silence was thick and heavy.

"Okay, look," Duke started, but then fell silent again - he wasn't sure where he wanted to go with this. He tried again: "You know, you've gotta..."

Nothing.

He threw his hands up in frustration. "Look, I'm still not happy with you, but Manna told me what happened. I... guess I was a bit rough with you. Okay? And I know it's gonna take a while to deal with... that stuff. But..." He sighed and nudged Jack's foot. "They hoped you were happy, and that you still loved them. They wanted you back, but they really... look, they wanted you to be okay. I bet they know you're safe now. They're probably relieved their son's alright, you know?"

Jack raised a hand and wiggled it halfheartedly, sniffling lightly.

"You can stay with us long as you feel you gotta. Just, I dunno..." He fumbled with his words once again - 'cheer up' seemed too exceptionally stupid a suggestion given the situation, but the little brat he remembered was now veering violently between numb and hysterical. The change sent a chill down his spine - even Manna was acting weird. Shaking his head hopelessly, he tried changing the topic: "Y'know, this couch is a pretty crappy bed. Lemme just get Aja's bed made up and maybe you'll sleep easier in there."

Jack mumbled an almost-imperceptible thanks, and Duke shrugged in response.

"There's some beef curry out in the kitchen. Manna says you like that stuff a lot. Uhh... and she wrapped up your toast from this morning if you still want that." He paused at the door, looking back over his shoulder. "You want this thing open or closed?"

"Eh," Jack sighed, waving his hand dismissively. Duke shrugged once more, and left the door open just a crack. Snatches of conversation floated in moments later.

"...like this... never thought..."

"...course he is ... mother died, you were... sometimes the circumstances... and when Aja... that letter like I asked... maybe she'll... oh, that poor... "

"...yeah, but... dunno how to... something like this..."

"...time... we can do... but maybe Carter... but... not until Thursday, maybe... free Tuesday, so I'll ask him if he wants to go then." Manna's voice got closer as she neared the door, and opened it. "Jack?" she whispered.

"Mmmm?"

"Duke made curry for dinner, if you want. He knows how much you love it."

Jack sat up slowly, stretching. "Huh? He told me _you_ made it..."

Manna laughed quietly, shooting a quick glance over her shoulder and dropping her voice. "He doesn't have to know I told you." She winked.

Jack felt a slight warmth stirring inside him, and he allowed himself a small smile. "I'll be out in a moment."

Manna nodded. "Alright, just wash up first."

As Jack entered the downstairs bathroom, he could hear Duke shuffling around on the floor above, and grimaced at his own messy reflection in the mirror. As he rinsed himself clean, he studied the reflection a bit more closely, drinking in every detail. High cheekbones, like his father. Round brown eyes... his father's. That light scattering of freckles - no doubt about it, just like his mother's; the same held true for his long, straight nose and fair skin. Depending on the angle, he almost felt like he could be looking straight at either of their faces... he reached out hesitantly, and-

A knock on the door interrupted him, causing Jack to jump and knock his head on the mirror. He winced. "I'll b-be out in a minute!" His shoulders slumped. It had been a stupid idea anyway.

"Got Aja's room fixed up," Duke's voice responded.

Jack thanked him as he dried his face, exited the bathroom, and joined Manna and Duke at the dining room table.

"So, Jack," Manna began hesitantly, blowing on her curry, "how... err, where... exactly... well, what did you... hmm." She tapped her spoon against the rim of her bowl, frowning. She finally shook her head helplessly. "I'm no good at this right now. So, just fill us in!"

Jack looked at her, a bit nonplussed. "Uhh... not much to say, really... I managed to graduate high school and, uhh..." He turned red and suddenly developed a much greater interest in his dinner. "Y'know. Just... stuff."

"Where were you working?" Manna pressed, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort. He shot her a more alarmed glance this time, and then glanced back down at his food.

"Ahh, ahahaha... just did some odd jobs here and there, umm... wow, this curry is great."

"You haven't eaten any," Manna observed, but she smiled. "But it smells great, doesn't it?"

"Eleven years in wherever-the-hell, and you that's all you have to say for it?" Duke said, raising an eyebrow. "C'mon, you didn't just leave this place to end up in Forget-me-not Valley or something, did you?"

Jack chuckled nervously and began playing an odd melody with his spoon and his drinking glass. "No, no, I, uhhh... you guys know S-Surfport? Just... umm, hung out there."

"Oh, that's a beautiful city," Manna breathed, her eyes suddenly developing a faraway look. "Duke and I went there on our honeymoon and conceived Aja!"

Now it was Duke's turn to go red in the face, choking on his curry. Jack hurriedly slapped him on the back.

"...sailing out on a cruise liner, and the clubs, oh, Duke is such an _excellent _dancer, did you ever go out dancing in Surfport?"

Jack avoided looking at Manna and hurriedly slurped down some curry, feeling his face grow even warmer than before. "Sometimes," he muttered, before eating a bit faster. "Pretty terrible at it. Mmm, delicious," he mumbled through a mouthful of vegetables. "Mmmhmm."

Duke tried to hide how pleased he looked. "Since when did you suck at dancing, boy? Karen would flip her lid if she heard that!"

"Uhh. Puberty. Got all gangly and awkward, you know." Jack laughed nervously, while Duke and Manna skeptically eyed him.

"Uh-huh. Puberty's a bitch," Duke agreed, not sounding entirely convinced.

"You know what, though, they had this great aquarium and I even got to feed a shark, and, uhh..."

"Jack, relax," Manna said, patting his hand. "I know you're under a lot of stress right now, but you don't have to try to impress us, okay? We're not gonna kick you out if we don't like your stories." She giggled. "Speaking of which, last year, during the Ocean Festival, this octopus..."

Dinner seemed to pass a bit more pleasantly after this, during which the three caught up and traded stories - though Manna and Duke couldn't help but notice that Jack seemed to tense up whenever work was mentioned. Finally, they reached the present, discussing it over pecan pie and wine.

"It may be a bit soon to ask, but... were you just planning to... visit?" Manna asked, handing Jack a third slice of pie.

Jack pondered the question for a moment, before shaking his head. "I really don't know anymore," he muttered. "I think I wanted to come back... I mean, come _back_. I wanted to at least help them out, make up for lost time, all that stuff. And I really wasn't going anywhere in Surfport." His voice started to tremble and crack. "But there's no point in hanging around here now. Don't get me wrong," he added quickly, "I don't mean you guys, you've been great. I just..." Feeling a bit irritated with his own emotional state at this point, he blinked back the tears that were returning for yet another round. "What is there?"

"Look, kid... you know Manna - ow! I mean, _we'll _welcome you to stay as long as you need to figure things out," Duke assured him, glowering at Manna and rubbing his own shin. "But you're... what, twenty-five or something?"

"Twenty-four," Jack corrected dully.

"Even better! That's another year longer than I thought you had to make up your mind!" Duke nodded firmly. "You know how much stuff there is to do out there in the world? Just give it time."

Manna shot Duke a surprised grin. "I figured you'd have something helplful floating around up there eventually," she cheered, squeezing his arm. "Jack, you don't have to decide right away. We certainly don't expect you to be able to. But we'll help you out however we can, okay?"

Jack nodded slowly, turning the thought over and over in his mind. "I guess so," he said quietly. "I think I'm going to get some sleep and try to think it over later..."

"Take your time, by all means," Manna assured him.

"Thanks." He nodded to Duke, and shook his hand. "You too. Thank you both so much... umm, goodnight."

Plodding into Aja's room, bold and sporty as the last time they'd hung out there so long ago, he tripped over a pair of barbells on the floor and flopped facedown onto her bed. As he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, he was silently relieved at how numb and drained he felt right now... because he knew it would hurt like hell in the coming days.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So... this is going to be a pretty challenging undertaking for me. I'm used to writing drama, and comedy, and trying to balance the two effectively. But I have to say, writing the scale of drama I intend to bring with these situations (while infusing comedy where it flows in) will definitely test me and my balancing skills as a writer (not to mention the whole multichapter aspect - what Jack's gone through will open up a _lot_ to deal with)... I can't wait. I hope I manage to achieve what I'm aiming for. I'm a bit worried about how Jack's coming off, but given the circumstances, hopefully I've handled him well.

Thank you so much to everyone for the reviews so far. I promise to give the best I can offer with each chapter.


	3. Someone Else's Dream

Chapter 3: Someone Else's Dream

* * *

The muted roar of a hairdryer popped Jack out of his peaceful slumber, sending him bolting upright in bed and looking around. Pushing Aja's warm, heavy quilt off, he quickly made the bed and padded quietly over to the window, blinking in the dewy morning sunlight. Rubbing his eyes, he let his vision clear for a moment before throwing open the window and leaning on the sill, grimacing at what he saw before him.

He'd forgotten until that moment exactly which direction Aja's bedroom window faced.

His weary gaze wandered over the wreckage, shaking his head. From this angle, he could see part of his old bedroom, shuddering as he spotted a wall that had collapsed and crushed the dining room table. Tearing his gaze away from the grim sight, he instead looked out over the mangled fields. Vaguely, he wondered if anything could still grow there.

_Actually... I guess it isn't _that _bad, _he thought, resting his chin on his arms._ Clear out the weeds, do... something with the rocks. Then... what? What the hell am I thinking here? _He shook his head rapidly and scowled. _Maybe if I had a magic wand, or..._

Something lit up inside him. "Or time," he whispered, unable to keep a hopeful smile from tugging at his lips, as he recalled his talk with Duke and Manna from the night before. He looked out over the fields again, with a critical eye - if he truly wanted to do this, he certainly would _need_ all the time he could spare.

As quickly as the enthusiasm had entered him, it left, and he sagged against the window frame. In his head, it sounded nice - and far easier than he knew it really would be.

_Or I could just slip out again, go back to the city, and continue doing _real _easy work, barely scraping by on the only actual talent I have. Not like I can lose a whole lot more at this point._

His fingers tapped thoughtfully on the windowsill as he mulled this over. Farming would take hard work, patience, determination, and dedication. He was in dreadfully short supply of most of those things. _But I've got time to learn them,_ he reasoned. _Besides, maybe... I can still make them proud of me._

_If there's even any way to start over in the first place..._

The bedroom door swung open, and Duke's voice called out to him:

"Hey, get your butt downstairs. Your food's getting cold."

Jack jumped and spun around, bowing low. "Uhh, sorry! I was kinda daydreaming. I'll be right down, thanks!"

Duke shrugged. "What's with the bowing? You Japanese or something? Anyway, you, uhh..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You seem alright, then."

Relieved that Duke seemed as uncomfortable with the idea of a heart-to-heart as he did, Jack nodded quickly. "Brand new day today, right?" He winced. His voice sounded so horribly hearty to his ears.

"Sure. Sure." Duke coughed. "WELL then, your cheer's so damn infectious, I've caught it and I intend to go work it off in the vineyard. Uhh, relax, or... do... ah, hell." He shrugged helplessly, and the two waved before Duke turned and lumbered downstairs.

Manna fussed over him at breakfast, chattering thirty miles a minute as she dried her hands off on a dish towel and poured out a dangerously large mug of coffee for herself. "...with the Welvins today - you should see how Mary's grown, she's a beauty - but she really is a funny girl, if you ask me, nose stuck in a book all the time nowadays. So peculiar, but I suppose living near Ellen's rubbed off on her, you know, and Karen! Oh, Karen will be thrilled to see you back!" Manna paused for a moment to gaze at the ceiling, as though reconsidering her words. "I mean, she said she wanted to rip your, ahh, 'boys' off if she ever saw you again, but she's mellowed out a lot since she and Rick..."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her as he chugged down his coffee, trying to keep up, and eventually just resorting to nodding and humming at whatever sounded like it needed an affirmation.

"Oh, you have? That was certainly fast!"

Jack choked on his toast and coughed, managing to splutter out a hoarse "Whuh?"

"I didn't think you'd make up your mind so fast," Manna repeated, gathering up the dishes and taking them to the sink.

"Oh, I can help with those-"

Manna pushed him back down gently. "Don't worry, I've got it. So, what did you decide?"

_Decide?_ He scratched his head, trying to tie the word back to the deluge of conversation she'd assaulted him with - "Oh! That! Actually, I..."

Manna's gaze was so friendly and curious that he jumped on the first response that sprang to mind:

"The farm!"

Silence filled the kitchen. Manna carefully set the dish she was drying down on the counter, and dropped the towel instead. Her eyes were very shiny all of a sudden.

"You're going to restore the farm?" she whispered.

Fidgeting in his seat under her intense gaze, Jack twiddled his thumbs. "Ummm... sure?" _Sure_, he thought, a bit more confidently. _Why not? Give it a try. _He sat up straighter, and nodded firmly. "Yeah, I'm gonna restore it. I'm not gonna run anymore... I'd never forgive myself if I let it die with them." He wasn't sure where the words were coming from all of a sudden, but he felt as though his mind and mouth were working outside of his control: "It's the least I could do for them."

He found himself enveloped in a warm, tight hug, Manna squealing out her approval. "Oh, they'd be so proud of you!" Looking up at him, she sniffled, "This _is_ what _you_ really want to do, right?"

_I don't know - damn it, she's crying. _"Absolutely." _Please stop looking so happy._

Composing herself, Manna straightened her dress and her hair, and wiped her cheeks. "Well, of course, it'll take some time to get things back in order over there, but of course you know we're all willing to help you out - though some more willing than others, I'll say, but never mind them, I can't _wait_ to tell Anna and Basil, oh, Basil will be _thrilled_..."

She swept out of the kitchen, stopping at the front door to call, "By the way, dear, when you're ready, you may need to speak with Thomas regarding the matter. He's Mayor now. I'll be back around lunchtime!"

"_Mr. Harrison _is the mayor?" Jack sputtered, but Manna had already left. He was alone once more, confused and nervous, in the house. "...Did I really just agree to do that?"

* * *

Cautiously glancing up and down the quiet, sun-dappled streets, Jack didn't notice anyone around yet. Sighing gratefully, he slipped quietly out onto Penny Lane, walking casually past the Welvins' house, and the library.

"Hey, noob!"

Baffled, Jack stopped, looking around for the source of the bratty young voice.

"Down here!"

Looking down, Jack saw a young, black-haired boy sitting in front of the house adjacent to the library, playing with a toy tank. "Oh. Uh, hey, man. What's up?"

"I'm Stu Farbess, who the hell are you?" the kid asked, tilting his head.

Something about the name rang a bell, but Jack shrugged it off. "I'm Jack. I used to live here."

"Jack?" Stu scrunched up his face, searching his memory. "Didn't you come from that farm that blew up?"

_You're not getting depressed around this snotty little kid,_ Jack's mind chided firmly, before his spirits could start to sink again. "Uhh, yeah. I... moved out a while ago."

"My Grandma says you ran away," Stu corrected, waving his tank accusingly at Jack. "Elli seemed pretty bummed about it." His expression turned suspicious. "But she was pretty happy when she heard you came back yesterday." He thrust the tank at Jack again. "You two didn't _do it_, did you?"

"Geez, kid, you've got a mouth on you," Jack shot back, then shook his head. _I'm arguing with an eight-year-old. What the hell? _"No, we didn't... do that."

"Why not?"

"I've gotta see the mayor about something!" Jack blurted out suddenly, bolting over to the next house and knocking a little too hard on the door.

Some muffled words floated up from inside, before the door swung open, and Jack found himself face-to-face with an astonished young man with a prominent nose.

"Hey, Harris," Jack said meekly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Harris nodded politely. "Morning, Jack."

"Your dad in?" he continued, craning his neck to look past Harris. "I, uhh, need to talk to him."

Harris stared blankly at him for a second, before blinking and shaking his head. "Oh, right! Uhh, yeah, I think he's watching T.V. Come in!" After seating Jack at the dining room table, Harris headed down the hallway and called out to his father. A muffled, increasingly exasperated-sounding conversation later, and Harris returned, rolling his eyes. "He says he'll be a minute. He's watching The Price Is Right." Grabbing a tin of cookies from the kitchen counter, he sat down across from Jack and pushed the tin his way.

"Nah, I'm good."

Harris took a cookie for himself and waved it at Jack questioningly before biting into it. "So, what brings you back here, anyway?"

"Overwhelming guilt," Jack responded bluntly, resting his face on his hand. "Seriously, I missed them so much, you have no idea."

Harris let out a low whistle. "Sorry you had to come back to this."

"Me too." Jack took a cookie from the tin and spun it around on the tabletop. "But I've gotta deal with it, right? It happened five years ago... that isn't changing just because I-" He stopped and flicked the cookie back into the tin, ignoring Harris's concerned gaze.

"Jack, are you gonna be okay?"

Jack didn't seem to hear him. "Err... so, wow. Hey, I guess your dad's the mayor now?"

Harris rolled his eyes. "For all intents and purposes, yeah. Grandpa passed away a while back, and before Dad was even ready, there it was, poof."

Jack chuckled. "You mean, before _you_ were ready."

Fiddling with the tin's lid, Harris blushed slightly. "_Technically_... okay, yeah. It's a pretty open secret anyway." He checked his watch and scowled. "Sorry to keep you waiting on him. What exactly did you need to speak to him about?"

"It's fine, it's fine." Jack leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his stomach. "Just wanted to say hi, and, uh, askabouthefarm."

Harris wasn't quite sure he'd heard right, and he screwed a finger around in his ear. "Sorry?"

"I... kind of told Manna I was going to restore the farm..."

A stunned silence followed, until a door down the hall slammed.

"That rapscallion bid _one stupid bit _over and he won. I hate when they do that!" Thomas ranted, looking for all the world like a rampaging tomato in his red waistcoat. "And that buffoon just _lets them!_ What a goon! Hello, Jack."

"Hey, Mr. Harrison."

The stout little mayor waddled over to the kitchen and looked around frantically, as if he hadn't seen Jack nor heard his response. "I'm pissed! That scumbag rustled my jimmies! Give me a cookie, Harris!"

"They're over here, Dad," Harris called warily, tossing the tin. His father lunged and caught it triumphantly, tearing into the helpless shortbread confections.

"Oh, thank heavens," he sighed through a mouthful of crumbs. As he chewed, he studied Jack curiously. "...Harris, is this young man Mr. Brennan?"

His son groaned, and buried his face in his palm. "No, Dad, it's Aja."

"You don't say." Swallowing his cookies, Thomas tilted his head. "I'll never understand this generation and their weird sex-changing... err, _tangents_. Well, as long as you make my son happy, you have my blessing."

Cracking a wry grin at Harris, Jack decided to play along. "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world."

"Stop it," Harris mumbled into his palm. "Dad, I _told_ _you_ it was Jack when I spoke to you earlier."

The mayor waved his son's complaints away. "Oh, you know how I am when my shows are on. So, Jack! What brings you here today? Err, this decade? ...When did you get back, anyhow?"

"Yesterday," Jack answered quickly, shooting a nervous glance at Harris, whose head looked about ready to explode. "I stayed with the Lipschitzes."

"Ah, yes. Elli saw you and Manna at the farm yesterday," Thomas said sadly, hanging his head. "I'm so terribly sorry."

"E-Elli saw me?" Jack went slightly pink. "Lovely." Slamming his palm down on the tabletop, he drew the attention of the other two men. "Anyway, look, I came here to... to..." The words, he found, were all of a sudden difficult to get out. Speaking to Thomas would possibly make it real. Official.

He found his sentence dying in his throat, and desperately hoped Harris wouldn't finish for him.

"He's expressed an interest in reviving the farm," Harris finished for him. Upon seeing Jack's panicked glare, he threw his hands up. "_What?_ That's what you told me!" Tapping his fingertip on the table to emphasize each syllable, he added, "And that's what you told Manna."

Slumping back in his chair, Jack accepted his defeat. Manna _was_ the first person he'd inadvertently shared his idea with. By this point, all of Mineral Town would probably know. Sulking, he nodded. "Harris is right. I don't know what I was thinking, but I told Manna exactly that. I came up with the idea right after I woke up! But, I kind of... felt I had to follow through. She looked so thrilled."

"You don't _sound_ thrilled," Harris pointed out.

"Hmm, but his parents would be," Thomas mused, rubbing his chin. "Personally, I believe it's a wonderful idea! Nothing like keeping a family tradition alive, I say!"

"_What _family tradition?" Jack sputtered. "My grandparents were buskers!"

"And you _hate_ running this town," Harris chimed in.

Thomas scoffed. "Nonsense, Harris, you're an excellent assistant." Ignoring his son's reddening face, he waved his hand. "Well, Jack, I'm afraid that your parents' living will was lost in the storm. And," he added sheepishly, tugging on his bushy mustache, "I forgot to make copies of it when they brought it to me."

"Grandpa made copies," Harris growled. "You spilled ice cream all over them!"

"Be that as it may," Thomas coughed, "I do believe the deed to their property is somewhere around here."

"_I_ made copies of all the deeds in town," Harris said proudly, heading off toward his bedroom. "I'll be right back."

"Now," Thomas continued, sitting by Jack and patting him on the shoulder, "what I _do_ know is your parents left behind a small sum of money. Being their next of kin, that passes to you, naturally. Now, we'll need to fix up the house so you can live in it, of course; call a few people out here to restore gas, water, electricity, you know the whole deal. Given the extensive damage and disrepair, it may be a while, but we'll get you on your feet!"

Sweating a bit, Jack nodded, and gulped. "Guess I've got no other choice at this point, eh?"

"It isn't finalized until you sign and initial this here," Harris said, placing a sheet of paper in front of him. "Your call, Jack."

Breathing deeply, Jack let his eyes scan over the words, mouthing along silently: "I, Mayor Thomas Harrison... known and proclaimed to all... true and legal owner of the property... under penalty of death?" he finished aloud, glaring incredulously at the mayor. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"Which means it can be ignored!" Thomas crowed, crossing the offending sentence out with a flourish, and handing the pen to Jack. "Your move, my boy!"

"It won't cost much," Harris assured his friend, examining the deed. "Just your voice."

The mayor rolled his eyes and tutted. "I'm not making him _pay_ for it, Harris."

Images of his parents' proud, lined faces filled Jack's mind. They were beaming at him, crying happily.

Flashes of his nightmare cut through. Hatred, cruel words, the clouds gathering-

He filled out the deed before he even realized he'd made up his mind.

* * *

Feeling somewhat lightheaded, Jack bid the mayor and Harris farewell, and wobbled down the street to the farm. _His_ farm. The start of the rest of his life...

His breath caught in his throat as he once more approached the ruins, making his way slowly to the house. So much of the roof was caved in that he could barely fit inside, but he squeezed in regardless, coughing and choking on the dust and grime that had accumulated in the years of abandonment.

He nimbly weaved his way through bits of glass, wood, and stone, over to the foyer wall. A series of notches marked the wood, stopping around where Jack's chest was now. He smiled fondly, running his fingers over the scars. At his feet lay a pile of crushed, violet ceramic that had once been a candy dish - a wedding gift from the Yodel Ranch, if he remembered right. Heart thudding madly in his chest, he ducked under some fallen rafters to reach what was left of his parents' room. His room lay not too far away, blocked off by mud and rubble.

Looking down once again, his eyes were drawn to a faded patch of blue.

_Mom_...

His fingers trembling, he lifted the frayed, dirty object up, and dusted it off gently. His mother's old cap, stained with sweat and dust from years of hard work in the fields. Clutching the cap to his chest, he made his way silently out of the crumbling old house, and back to the winery.


	4. Tuesday Morning

Chapter 4: Tuesday Morning

* * *

That night, Jack was slumped over Aja's desk, eyeing his mother's freshly-laundered cap and quietly digesting leftover curry. He'd spent most of his day quietly tidying up the house, and exercising in Aja's room with the weights and punching bag that were still there. With a pang, he'd noticed how - despite the general messiness of the room - not a speck of dust could be found.

Dinner had been spent carefully avoiding Manna's proud gaze, listening politely as she prattled on to him and Duke about the latest nothings happening in Mineral Town. She had, indeed, told everyone she'd met that day about Jack's ambitions to pick up where his parents had left off, and Jack suddenly felt his stomach churn in spite of the delicious food.

In spite of his reservations, he was already compiling a mental inventory of what needed to be done the next day - all the while ignoring that nagging voice that kept pressing him about what he'd do if he'd taken a path he didn't like _again_.

_Running away didn't help me the first time, _he thought, drumming his fingers on the cap. Looking at a framed photo of Aja, Duke, Manna, and Harris dancing at the New Year's festival, he smiled sadly. _Wish I could've told her that. I wonder why she left...? _He hadn't thought it wise to ask Manna, and he was a bit intimidated by the thought of asking Duke, whose eyes became eerily dark whenever Aja's name was mentioned in passing. Jack wasn't terribly surprised by this, though - even his own shouting matches with his parents hadn't been as loud and frightening as the ones that had regularly come from the winery all those years ago.

Putting the photo back on the desk, he yawned and stretched, heading back over to look out the window at the farm - now bathed in dim, silvery moonlight.

He smiled wryly as he spotted the bathroom window. It was absolutely shattered by this point, but it had been in the perfect position for Jack to peer out with his telescope, looking into Aja's window while she changed... at least until she'd busted the telescope on his tenth birthday with a frighteningly well-aimed rock. Duke and Manna had had to physically restrain her from marching down to the farm and doing the same thing to his face, and his parents had refused to replace his telescope after that.

The next morning, Jack crept out of bed before Manna arose, and snuck downstairs, only to find Duke already sitting in his armchair in the living room, upper body hidden behind the paper.

"Why do they put so many goddamn pages in this thing?" Duke grumbled to himself, taking a deep swig of coffee. "Morning, Jack."

"Morning, Duke," Jack called, heading over to the fridge. He peered inside, and was slightly disheartened to notice that the package of bacon Manna had bought yesterday was missing, as well as some pancake batter. "You already made breakfast?"

"Mmmhmm. It's on the stove."

"Oh..." Jack slumped. "Thanks." Feeling rather slow and with more than a twinge of guilt, he fixed himself a plate and sat down at the table again. _Well, maybe I can treat them to lunch_, he thought, lazily arranging his pancakes and bacon into a smiley face with gigantic eyebrows. "What're you lookin' at, Groucho?"

He heard the paper rustle, followed by Duke muttering something that sounded like "for fuck's sake, just eat it".

"So, Gotz is supposed to stop by the farm tomorrow to take a look at the house," Duke continued, raising his voice slightly. "Size it up, take measurements, all that kinda stuff. Construction should begin shortly after that, Thomas said. Of course, Gotz's gonna propose some blueprints first, floor plans for you and all that. Make sure you like it."

"Huh?" Jack looked over his shoulder at the talking newspaper. "But isn't he gonna need materials, money, stuff like that?"

"Thomas is footing the bill for this one," Duke explained. Seeing Jack's bewildered look, he clarified: "Look, just let him do this for you."

"But-"

"He's a pain in the ass when somebody makes him cry," Duke finished darkly. "And some carpenter over in Harmonica Town is supposed to come by and help with the construction. He'll have the materials. Nothing real extravagant, though."

Jack hummed, and drained his glass of orange juice as he pondered this news. "Think they'll let me clear the fields while they're working?"

"Long as you stay out of the way, I don't see why not."

"Oh, are you heading over there to start today?" Manna's voice called, as she joined them downstairs.

"I think so," Jack responded, rinsing his dishes off and turning to head back upstairs. "I may as well. But I need to stop by the inn and make a few calls first." Halfway up the stairs, he stopped, remembering something else. "By the way, are you two free for lunch this afternoon? It's on me."

Manna beamed up at him.

* * *

The town had been reasonably quiet in the fifty-some hours since Jack's return, at least on the few occasions he'd ventured outside - and this had not gone unnoticed by the young man, who was silently grateful for the fact. There were some faces he was dreading seeing more than others, and he cursed inwardly as two of those faces approached him on his way to the inn.

Karen Clark was quick to move. "Rick, that's... HEY!" Like a bullet, she shot straight towards Jack, her long, dirty-blonde hair flying behind her like a banner. "JACK!"

Eyes widening, Jack's mind took over and he gracefully spun to the side, avoiding Karen's... nothing. She'd simply skidded to a stop in front of him, her face a mixture of confusion, anger, and something he couldn't identify.

She cocked her head to the side as Rick Aberlen joined her. "Jack, what the hell's with the dancing?"

Cringing, Jack met her gaze, noting with interest that she had grown quite a bit taller than him. "Uhh... actually, I thought you were gonna... you know what? Never mind that. Hey, Rick," he nodded to his former neighbor, smile faltering completely when he saw the look Rick had given him.

"Hey." If his blue eyes were like chips of ice, Rick's voice was absolute zero. "I guess you're back."

Laughing nervously, Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess so?" He nodded towards Karen. "How's the supermarket doing?"

Karen folded her arms, staring venomously at Jack and tossing her hair over her shoulders. Her green eyes were hard and narrowed. "We've been better."

Rubbing his arm, Jack turned to Rick. "And, umm... the farm?"

"Okay. Dad left. Mom's been real sick." With every word Rick spoke, Jack felt smaller and smaller, allowing the chill to creep over him that much faster. "I've been handling things by myself. Popuri can't."

Karen arched an eyebrow. "So, I hear you've decided you want to work on the farm after all. You know, now that you can do it on your own terms." She instantly regretted her choice of words when she saw the look on Jack's face. "Okay, that was way below the belt," she admitted softly, biting her lip.

"No, you're right. I fucked up," Jack said, his voice almost a whisper now, as Karen nodded fervently. "I can't undo that. But maybe I can make something right."

"You really think you're up to it?" Karen asked quietly, to which he just waved his hand meekly. "Okay, if you say so. Suit yourself."

"Why'd you do it, Jack?"

Karen and Jack both turned their gazes on Rick, who was in turn staring at the ground, as if he couldn't stand to look at the younger man.

Jack wasn't quite sure which question was specifically being asked of him. "Do what?"

"Leave them like that."

"Rick-"

"No, Karen, I want to know." He wasn't shouting, nor was his voice as icy as it had been moments ago - there was only horrible, quiet, unbearable disappointment. "I want to know how he could do that to them. They thought you hated them. They _died_ thinking you-"

"RICK!" Karen yelled, whirling around and yanking on his coppery hair, causing him to yelp and shoot a glare at her. Turning back to Jack, she started to apologize, but shook her head instead. Jack was gone. "You idiot..."

* * *

Feeling far too calm after his encounter with Rick and Karen, Jack made his way to the one place he'd been hoping to avoid as long as possible - the cemetery. Hoping Pastor Carter wasn't awake yet to see him outside, Jack slipped through the half-open iron gates and ambled slowly through the rows of stones and plaques, taking in names both familiar and strange. His eyes widened slightly as he passed a tombstone engraved with two names he knew all too well - Elle and Kyle Farbess.

Running his fingers over the engravings, he whispered Elli's name, sighing heavily. Judging by the dates, her parents had passed away only four years after Jack had left town. He couldn't imagine what the past decade had been like for her. Her parents and Jack's had been especially close - both couples having been the godparents of each others' children - and she had idolized the hard-working farmers with a reverence he'd never quite understood until recently.

As he passed the graves of his grandparents and great-grandparents - the original owners of the farm, a business his grandmother hadn't had the patience for - Jack felt his throat grow dry. His fingers and eyes started to tingle. There was no wishing away the truth before him now.

_Charles Marcus Brennan & Millie Jacqueline Brennan_

_1967 - 2006_

Stroking the headstone gently, he closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh spring air and letting the sun warm his face. A slight breeze caressed his neck. "Hey, guys." His voice was low and steady, despite the reality of the situation slowly sinking into him as he spoke. "I'm home. I know I came a little too late, but I'm home." Bowing his head, he continued, "I don't know what I was expecting, honestly. Not this. I know that much. But I just want you to know, what Rick said back there..." He let out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to think that. I don't know what I wanted you guys to think. Maybe _I_ didn't even think about that. Guess that's not too surprising, though." He laughed bitterly.

"I don't know if you've heard yet, but I'm taking over. I, uhh... to be honest, I'm kind of..." The words had stopped coming so easily now, and he let his hand drop to his side. "I'm going to try my best. I swear I will. If that isn't enough, though... if I fail anyway, that-" He slid his eyes shut and took a deep breath, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry... please don't hate me for what I did. I lo... I-" The words had stopped coming, sealed off as the weight settled fully in his stomach. Kneeling, he pressed his lips softly to the warm granite, resting his cheek against the headstone and closing his eyes.

He didn't know how much time had passed while he knelt there, his eyes flying open when he finally heard the soft rustling of someone else walking through the cemetery.

"I thought we might find you here," a warm voice called, the sound stirring up a strong mixture of happiness and anxiety in Jack. He stayed silent as the owner of the voice - and someone else, from the sound of the footsteps - came to a rest a short distance behind him.

Jack stayed where he was, not even having the energy to turn his head. "Elli, I-"

He was cut off as her arms enveloped him from behind, the scent of jasmine tickling his nose. He suddenly felt far safer and more comfortable than he had in a long time, reaching up with one hand to cover hers. Her skin was soft, her breathing deep and soothing.

"Welcome home," she murmured into the crook of his neck, lacing their fingers together. He smiled and brushed his lips across her knuckles, causing her to giggle. "You big charmer, you."

An uncomfortable cough from behind them caused the two to look over, where Karen stood by an angel statue, drumming her fingers on one of the wings and picking at a loose thread on her dress with her other hand. She approached the pair hesitantly, looking unsure of what she should say, if anything. After a moment of silent deliberation, she made up her mind: "Crap. Umm, look, Jack, about earlier-"

Jack just smiled and shook his head, letting Elli help him to his feet. "Let's let it drop. Deal?" Karen nodded gratefully, slumping against the statue in visible relief. Jack brushed the dirt and daisy petals off the knees of his jeans, looking to the side innocently as he slipped one of the petals down the back of Elli's sweater. She shrieked and laughed, squirming as he dropped more and more petals and blades of grass down there.

Karen rolled her eyes, grinning wryly. "Geez, you guys adjusted to this fast."

"It wasn't the same picking on my friends in the city," Jack laughed, yelping as Elli poked him between the ribs. As the two calmed down, he took a moment to take his first good look at her in a long time - like Karen, she'd grown a little taller than him, though she wasn't quite as tall or willowy as the blonde - and her honey-brown hair now tickled the nape of her neck, tied back in a short, loose braid. Like Jack, she had a small sprinkling of light freckles across her nose and cheeks. "Wow, you look great, Elli."

She grinned, crinkling her nose. "Thanks, but you should see the portrait I keep under my floorboards."

Karen pouted playfully, twirling her hair between her fingers. "What, only her?"

Feeling a bit more at ease now, Jack looked over Karen carefully, as though considering this remark. Damn gorgeous, as she'd always been. "Wow, you look great, Elli," he repeated, causing the three to laugh, and Karen to smack him on the arm.

"Yeah, well, your ass's gotten big anyway," she laughed, sticking her tongue out at him.

As the three left the cemetery, Jack couldn't help but ask something:

"Elli?"

"Mmm?"

"...Did _all_ of the girls here grow taller than me?"

* * *

After bidding farewell to Elli, who had to go to work, Jack and Karen made their way to the Juniper Inn together.

"You know, some girls think short guys are sexy," Karen teased, laughing as Jack sulked over topping out at five-foot-five. Her face grew serious, however, and she dropped her voice: "Look, I know what Rick said might have hurt, but he's really just upset about his dad leaving."

Jack shrugged it off. "I really can't blame him. Why'd his dad leave, anyway?"

Sighing, Karen ran her fingers through her hair. "Lillia's been really ill for a long time now. I can't really say when it started, but... she's become real frail, can't do much of anything without getting exhausted easily, constant pain..." A shadow had fallen across her face.

"What the hell can do that?" Jack murmured, his voice hushed.

"Nobody knows." She shook her head helplessly. "Dr. Hardy from Forget-me-not came over to study it, we have a guy here from Flowerbud, overseas... and nobody can figure it out. Basil exhausted himself like... five times staying up for days on end, trying to find any kind of herbal remedies." She collapsed against the inn wall with a loud _whoosh_ of air. "And then Rod was doing research with him, but he was looking on the mystical side of stuff - saw this legend about a rare desert flower, or something, I think it's a centennial thing, and," she made finger quotes here, "it has 'amazing medicinal properties'. So he set out to find it. That was about... ten years ago. He writes to check in on everyone occasionally, but..."

Standing there, absorbing all this new information, Jack was overwhelmed. "You know," he said slowly, "I'm afraid to ask what else has changed at this point."

"You'll see," Karen said ominously. "Look, I've gotta take care of some stuff right now, but I'll see you later, okay?" Waving to him, she hurried off in the direction of the town square.

The muffled hum of a vacuum cleaner floated down from the second floor of the relatively empty inn to greet Jack as he took a seat at the end of the bar inside, nodding to Doug, who looked up from shelving a crate of scotch.

"What'll it be?"

Jack shook his head, looking around at the few patrons scattered about - a sly-looking Asian man in a violently yellow overcoat, smiling slickly as he chattered and drank with a fairly pompous-looking, long-faced man. They were already both fairly red-cheeked. Harris watched the two, from his own table, looking rather disinterested. "Nothing yet. Duke and Manna are meeting me here for lunch in a bit, though. This phone still call out long-distance?" he asked, already halfway through dialing out.

"Yep. 'Scuse me." He scowled and carried two more beers over to where the Asian man was banging his empty mug on the table, looking quite smug while Harris admonished him in hissing whispers.

Snickering at the sight of Harris yanking irritably on the man's long braid, Jack played an erratic rhythm on the bar with his free hand while the phone rang... and rang... and rang...

"Hey, thanks for calling The Woodwork. This's Harry Johnson, what can I do you for?"

"Uhh, Harry?" Jack whispered, keeping his voice as low as he could. "It's Jack."

"Oh, Jack! Vacation over already?" Harry asked, his deep voice threatening to boom out over the receiver. "You know, the crowds are kinda... not... without you here. When you coming back?"

Sighing, Jack muttered, "Sorry, but I've gotta stay here for a while. Stuff I've gotta take care of."

Harry's tongue clicked on the other end of the line. "Quittin', huh? Damn shame, son. You know how popular you were with the customers."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Can't someone else there be popular?"

"Guess they'll have to," Harry sighed. "Well, can't say I didn't see it coming, though. You didn't look too happy out there. Didn't feel right, keeping you on."

Jack shifted slightly. "Sorry, Harry. You're not pissed?"

"Feh, pissed? What kind of boss would I be? You do what you've gotta do, and you take care of yourself doing it. Or I'll come over there and break your damn legs, because none of these guys have half the skill you do."

Jack let out a small chuckle at this. "I guess I should be flattered, huh?"

"I'd be!"

After exchanging goodbyes and hanging up, Jack spun around in his chair and let out a yell when he saw Duke and Manna standing there, smiling. "Geez!"

"Hi!" Manna trilled. "We're here for lunch!"

* * *

A short time later - after being introduced to the rather pompous Kano, warned by Harris about the shady Won, and just missing Ann for the second time - Jack bid everyone goodbye and headed down to the farm, cracking his knuckles and slipping his jacket and shirt off to drape over the battered mailbox. With a loud, creaking sigh, it tipped over into the dirt from the added weight, and Jack shook his head.

It was time to get to work.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **EPIC WEEDING TIME. Let's do garden forever!

I'm slowly getting into the groove of upping the story's pace some beyond just set-up - and since I just ended a vacation, and I want to be more careful to ensure I achieve the feel I want here, updates may be a bit more sporadic from here on out. And thank you again to the reviewers (Seventh Chance in particular) for the feedback so far! Feel free to continue leaving some - good, bad, happy, sad, sexually inappropriate.


	5. Goin' To Work

Chapter 5: Goin' To Work

* * *

Jack hadn't made as much progress as he'd wanted in those six hours out there, finding himself growing increasingly exhausted as he fought to yank up weeds and roll stones down to rest by the barn, tripping over the occasional branch or snarled growth, the shadow of Mother's Hill offering him a reasonable blanket of shade. As the sun's path dipped downward, casting the land in a deep red tint, Jack caught Rick watching him work from the edge of the small grove separating their farms.

A short while later, the young red-headed farmer wordlessly headed over to help his neighbor slowly remove the slimy, dirt-caked stone from the fish pond. The two worked the field together, making uncomfortable small talk that never deviated too far from the weather or the work at hand. An awkwardly-placed "that's what she said" joke from Rick had elicited a groan and a shake of the head from Jack, effectively ending all conversation.

With an exhausted groan, Jack, slumped down against the front of the barn, covered in grime and sweat, taking care not to let any splinters get lodged in his bare back. He surveyed the land with a critical eye as Rick slid down next to him, resting his arms on his knees.

"Not bad," the redhead mused, humming in approval, looking only a little disheveled by comparison. Jack nodded, trying to catch his breath.

"I... think... I want to turn that corner into an orchard, or... something," he wheezed, pointing at a spot that hadn't been cleared yet. "And maybe use those... those stones to make a... fireplace? Or maybe a barbecue?" He saw Rick's expression drop into an alarming glare, and shrugged. "Ah... hell, Rick, I dunno..."

Settling back down, Rick shook his head and frowned, still unable to look Jack in the eye. "Slow down. You'll have plenty of time to figure this out."

"Yeah, but..."

The conversation died off quickly after that, and the two left for the night - Rick to Chicken Lil's, and Jack to the winery, grabbing his shirt and jacket from the fallen mailbox on the way, mildly sunburned and feeling like he'd been trampled by a hippopotamus.

* * *

Friday morning, he found himself waking up before the sun had fully risen, quickly washing his face and grabbing his mother's old cap as he trudged back out to the farm, aching slightly. His stomach growled, but he ignored it as he set to work immediately, yanking out weeds and gathering the fallen branches and boughs scattered around - starting on the field yesterday had lit a fire under his ass. The sun crept over the summit of Mother's Hill to observe him while he milled about, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.

"Hey, dork!"

Pausing, his arms full of branches, Jack turned to see a girl his age heading towards the farm, grinning and waving a brown paper sack. Her coppery hair, pulled back into a ponytail, gleamed in the minty sunlight.

His face broke into a smile. "Ann! I was wondering when they'd send that maid they promised! Even if she is a ginger!"

Ann laughed and smacked him lightly on the head with the lunch sack, following him over to the wood shed as he deposited the branches there. "Least I'm not a shrimp!"

Jack pointedly looked her straight in the eye - an easy feat, considering they were the same height.

"...Least I'm not a pervert," she corrected, nodding in the direction of his bathroom window_. "_I think I'm gonna need a bigger vacuum for this place." She dangled the bag in front of his face, shaking it lightly. "Your _hors d'oeuvres_, Sparky. Duke and Manna noticed you skipped breakfast." She smiled. "Dad and I packed a little something for you too, since I saw you heading out this morning."

Eyes following the bag as Ann swung it back and forth like a hypnotist's watch, Jack licked his lips and slipped off his work gloves, stowing them in the back pocket of his shorts. "You're saying _you_ made me lunch?"

Her blue eyes sparkling mischievously, Ann shook her head. "Karen did."

"Ahh... you know what, I'm good."

She let out a surprisingly booming laugh, and pulled out a croissant Manna had made, along with a small thermos of coffee. "Actually, my dad made it for you."

"Oh, thank God," he said happily, tearing off half of the croissant and popping it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he made a noise of appreciation that bordered on downright vulgar, offering the other half to Ann. She took it with a smirk.

"You don't have to get _that_ excited," she said, chuckling as she ate her share, leaning next to him against the shed. "You know, if you split the rest of your breakfast with me, I'll clear the rest of those rocks out for you. I've got the morning free." She looked past him as he nodded appreciatively, raising an eyebrow. "What's that big pile of them for, anyway? I thought you'd just roll them into the river or something."

He shrugged his sunburned shoulders, wincing slightly. "Just in case, I guess. I might wanna make something out of them."

"Like a barbecue?" she offered, looking puzzled as Jack doubled over laughing. "What? I'm serious!"

The two quickly finished breakfast and got down to work, Ann rushing the rocks and stones and small boulders over by the side of the barn with surprising strength for a girl only Jack's size. She worked faster and more vigorously than Rick had the previous night, her pale face shining with sweat in no time at all. She squealed when an errant clump of weeds flew her way and smacked her dead in the face, Jack laughing himself to tears as he struggled to wheeze out an apology. Moments later, Ann flew at him with a roar of "You owe me a match anyway!", tackling him to the ground, the two soon wrestling and rubbing dirt in each others' hair.

"I don't... I don't think this is helping the field!" Ann giggled breathlessly, grabbing a clump of weeds and bopping Jack lightly on the forehead with it.

"You... started it! The field can... wait until I... finish it!" Jack wheezed, laying flat on his back and batting the weeds away, his chest heaving with each labored breath. Not bothering to move his head, he instead let his eyes dart around, surveying what he could from this position. "...Besides... I th... I think it's good for now." Struggling to sit up and prop himself on his elbows, he flashed Ann a grin. "Thanks for helping me out, though."

She looked down at her sweat-and-dirt stained shirt and jeans, smiling. "No problem! But I gotta head back to the inn. Lunchtime's almost coming up, and I've gotta catch up on some cleaning over there. See you later, then?"

He nodded, climbing gingerly to his feet and grabbing the cap, which had fallen off his head when Ann had taken him down. Stretching and cracking his back, he looked out over the field again, noting with some satisfaction that he and Ann had made a much more noticeable - albeit small - dent in the debris. At this rate, he could start the actual farming by the time the Goddess Festival came around.

Seeing the position of the sun in the sky - almost right above him - he quickly washed himself off in the river running past the far end of the farm, slipped his shirt back on, and headed back down to the winery, stuffing his fists in the pockets of his denim shorts. Gotz was supposed to stop by and discuss the reconstruction with him. He pulled a face and lifted one hand out of his pocket, opening it and finding a ladybug that had wandered inside earlier. With some remorse, he noticed it was dead. "No hard feelings, right?"

Despite all the time that had passed, Gotz remained as alarmingly large and muscular as ever, even towering considerably over the rather imposing Duke. He wasted no words as he discussed demolition, clearing, the actual construction, floor plans, time frames, and total cost with Jack - who insisted rather vehemently that he wished to pay Thomas back, despite Duke's objections.

"Just let the carpenters split it, and Thomas doesn't have to know you put in a single cent towards it, so he doesn't fly off the handle," Duke finally offered exasperatedly, to which Jack caved and nodded. Looking pleased that they'd finally crossed that hurdle, they moved on to blueprints, and - to the bafflement of Jack - feng shui, which he shrugged off hopelessly.

"Just keeping your options open," Gotz said, scratching his scraggly brown beard. "Dale, Luke, and Bo are gonna arrive this evening, and we're gonna start tomorrow. You got anything you want to keep in there, I'll head back there with you after this and help you dig it out, because we're chucking everything else. Clear?"

"Crystal." Looking as though he were pondering something of great importance, Jack then leaned forward and added, "Also, I have this pile of rocks and stuff I've been saving up..."

* * *

Apart from a few family photos he'd gingerly pried from their bent and busted frames, a hideous stuffed bat named Monsieur Boopsie that he'd gotten when he was four, and his mother's beaten-up, rusted set of farming tools that had been excavated from the remains of the closet, Jack found little he could logically salvage from the house. Having been hastily talked out of the idea of building a barbecue by Gotz and Duke - who pointed out to him that the vegetarian, chicken-ranching Rick would give him the frowning of a lifetime - he instead made a small frame with his thumbs and forefingers, peering through it as he envisioned where his fireplace would sit. The floor plan otherwise remained quite similar to what it had been before.

That evening, he stopped by the dock to meet the carpenters from Harmonica Town: Dale Potter, a chunky man whose primary mode was "exasperated"; his tall, wiry son Luke, bright golden eyes and shiny sapphire-hued hair giving off the impression that he was practically humming with electricity; and Bo, who looked his thirteen years with his wide-eyed, freckled face, but gave off the distinct impression of being too old for Luke's crap.

Luke was carrying an obscenely large TV when he departed the boat, hefting it impressively on one muscled arm, and waving manically with the other. Jack wondered how he could even stand up perfectly straight with the thing. "Happy housewarming, man!" Behind him, Bo rolled his eyes, and Dale slapped a hand to his forehead.

Taking Jack's complete bewilderment and silence for overwhelming gratitude, Luke laughed, and waved dismissively. "Hey, when we hook you up, we hook you UP!" he declared, punching the air for emphasis. "Here you go!" He unceremoniously dumped the hulking behemoth into Jack's arms, causing the farmer to let out a strained grunt and sag beneath the unexpected weight, Gotz and Bo scrambling forward frantically to help keep him from dropping it.

"I still can't believe you _brought_ this thing," Bo groaned, toddling towards the inn with Jack and Gotz, the three men working to balance the bulky TV.

"Hey, it's only polite!" Luke said obliviously, slapping Bo on the back and making the young boy stumble and cry out in alarm as the TV shifted. He stuck his thumb out and pointed proudly at himself. "Stick with me, buddy, and you'll be as good a gentleman as I am a carpenter in no time. Mr. Etiquette's got this shit!"

After heading inside the inn and setting the TV in the storage cupboard under the stairs - amidst bemused stares and curious whispers from Doug, Ann, and the other patrons of the bar - Gotz headed back home, Dale and Bo went to get the keys to their rooms, and Jack and Luke joined Kano, Basil, and Duke at a nearby table. Across the room, Ann flashed Jack a grin and shook her head.

"Well, look who's finally showing his face!" Basil cheered, raising his wine glass to the other mens' mugs. "Welcome home, Jack!"

"Yeah!" Duke roared, slurring his words slightly. "Welcome home, ya crazy little shitass!" He chuckled and pulled Luke into a rough noogie, causing the young carpenter to squirm and laugh.

"This guy knows how to party!" Pulling himself from out under Duke's armpit, he straightened his flame-patterned bandana. "Yo, Pops. You're okay!" Turning towards Ann, he hollered, "Gimme something that'll turn me into this dude!" Jabbing a thumb in Jack's direction, he added, "Better make it two!"

"Nah, I'll just take a root beer float," Jack corrected. The smell of beer was rolling off of Duke so strongly that he wasn't sure he could stomach actually drinking it at the moment.

"So," Kano began, managing to make the single word sound as grand as the crescendo of an orchestral piece. "Kano's seen your work around the farm already. Splendid, just splendid! Majestic! You cleared that field with a wave of your hand!"

"To splendid!" Duke chimed in, raising his mug in a toast, then draining it and banging it on the tabletop. Basil chuckled and sipped his wine.

"I heard you telling Rick the other night that you were planning on planting an orchard," he said, staring at Jack with interest. "Always knew you had a green thumb on you!"

"_What? _Cool!" Luke shouted, grabbing Jack's hand and yanking it up to study it critically. He frowned. "Aww, man!"

"Should you really be serving him alcohol?" Jack murmured to Ann as she brought their drinks over.

"Ah, come on," she said, laughing. "He's no worse than you were as a kid! ...Or me," she added as an afterthought.

"But he'll be _drunk_," Jack whispered desperately, watching Luke knock back his beer in a quick gulp and let out an unholy belch.

Ann whistled in amazement. "You know, for such a skinny guy, you sure can let it rip!"

"All in the diaphragm!" Luke crowed, patting his belly proudly. He turned back to Jack. "So, you're gonna be planting a forest, huh?"

"Err, I actually don't kn-"

"It is called an orchard," Kano corrected him gently. "Glorious, fruit-bearing trees, maybe some delicate cherry blossom petals spiraling down in the intricate dance of life and death... yes..." All eyes fell to him as he, too, knocked back his beer and glowered, muttering something about stagnation and decay.

"To decay!" Duke cried, taking another deep pull while Jack idly wondered if he bled alcohol.

"You know what you should get?" Luke cut in, patting Jack on the arm to get his attention. "Animals! I can probably get you a sweet discount on a cow or an ostrich or something-"

"A _what_?" Jack spat, choking on his float.

"Pascal doesn't run Noah's Ark, son," Dale admonished, squeezing in to join the other five men at the table, and politely declining an offer to order as Ann arrived once more with refills. Basil, Kano, and Duke looked at him as if he'd just burst out of Ann's chest. "They can sell him animals right here in town. Besides, that TV's already coming out of your pay, you know. So are your drinks."

Luke grit his teeth. "Crap!"

"To crap!"

"Charlie was great with animals," Basil cut in, frowning thoughtfully. "I wonder if that's a genetic thing?"

"Kano is despised by chickens," Kano admitted mournfully, poking at the foam on his beer.

"Yer mom's a chicken," Duke hissed, smirking, as he swiped Kano's drink and downed it.

"...Kano has lost his beer..."

"I can't wait to try your crops!" Basil said cheerfully, tuning the other men out.

"Err, you know I still haven't-"

"Course, you live near a mine, and those can really set you up for life," Dale mused, pushing Luke's arm down before he could wave Ann over for yet another refill. "That's enough for you, son."

"But _Daaaaaaaaaad_-"

"Guys, I-"

"Kano... would like to bond with a _sheep_," Kano hissed desperately, pulling Jack forward by the collar of his shirt, their faces uncomfortably close. "A photographer's beautiful dream! Make it so!"

"There's always carpentry," Luke suggested, yanking Jack away and slinging an arm around his shoulder, making a dramatic sweeping gesture with the other arm. His bright eyes were distant and dreamy. "You could have, like, a _field_ of _houses_! Believe it!"

"Luke, it's a _farm_-"

"The fish are excellent here, too, you know! You could catch them by the dozen!"

Trying to restrain himself from pulling out his hair, Jack pulled some money from his pocket, tossed it on the table, and strained as he hefted a very red and very loud Duke up out of his seat. "Weeeeell, guys," he hissed, dragging Duke slowly towards the door, "we gotta.. get _home_ now - ooh, geez - and get to... bed. Gah! Nice... meeting... everyone!" The door closed behind him just as he overheard Kano passionately begging to draw Luke like a French girl.

* * *

Over the course of the next few weeks, the serene and breezy March slipping by in a series of sunny days, and things began to pick up speed on the farm. Jack, with some help from Luke at the insistence of an increasingly agitated Dale, managed to clear the field entirely of all debris and detritus while the house was rebuilt from the ground up. The task was certainly made easier with Luke's expert prowess with a hammer and an axe, but was no less gargantuan for the scale of damage. And Jack sometimes had the strangest feeling somebody was watching...

"What about those stones?" Luke asked one Sunday morning, jerking a thumb in the direction of the enormous pile by the barn.

"We're keeping those..."

"Can't I just bust _one_?" Luke pleaded, his voice taking on a slight whine as he tapped his hammer impatiently on his bare shoulder, thrusting his pelvis with such ferocity that Jack feared for how badly Luke truly needed to smash something up. The display was slightly arousing, much to Jack's consternation. "C'moooon! I still got it in me! C'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon-"

"Will you shut up and help us over here now?" Dale snapped, feeding a sheet of lumber into a roaring buzzsaw. Entranced by the rather loud and violent process, Luke happily bounced over to aid his father. Relieved, Jack wiped his forehead free of sweat and set to work plowing the land, his increasingly sunburned skin tingling and itching as the sun seemed to practically glare down on him now.

At the end of the ninth day, he stood back to admire the progress. He'd sown seeds for an obscenely large assortment of fruits and vegetables, courtesy of his own indecision and the carpenters bringing an enormous variety of seeds with them from Castanet. Among these were arugula seeds - something he regretted disclosing to Luke, who found the word so amusing that he started singing about it with a horrible Spanish accent while spreading mortar. Dale quickly put a stop to this by threatening to shove a brick up Luke's ass and make him part of the house.

The house was being constructed in a far shorter time than Jack had imagined it would take, being used to the more lengthy and expansive construction projects of Surfport. Each night, after they were done with the day's work, Jack, Luke, Bo, and Dale headed back to the inn - Bo would turn in for the night, completely pooped from all the hard work, while the three older men discussed the farm's progress over dinner. On occasion, they would be joined by a rather tipsy Karen, who spent her time sizing Luke up as though he were fine piece of real estate and she wanted to get her some land.

"Train an army... of BEES," Luke hissed intensely on the night of the house's completion, his eyes wide and mad as he stared Jack down. "It would be so. _Awesome!_"

"Did someone say _beeeeees_?" a rather deranged-looking man piped up from the table behind them.

Dale clapped a hand over his son's mouth before any more damage could be done. "False alarm, Louis! He said it hurts when he p- you know what, forget it."

Louis sighed and went back to staring at his mead, looking rather forlorn behind his opaque spectacles.

Ann stopped by their table and delivered a second order of chili to Luke, lingering by their table. Karen joined them moments later, eyes trained on the wiry carpenter.

"I can't believe how fast you got that thing started up!" Ann said excitedly, squeezing Jack's shoulder. He winced and yelped, pulling away slightly and rubbing at the sore spot. "Suck it up, wimp. I bet you can't wait to actually move in!"

"Eheheh, yeah..." He chuckled weakly. "Thrilled."

"You think of a name yet?" Karen pressed, looking slightly flushed. At his blank stare, she looked shocked. "Come on! It's your _farm_! How can it not have a _name_?" She groaned something about kids that was so incomprehensible Jack felt it needed subtitles, and threw a sultry gaze Luke's way, slurring ominously, "You like kids, honey?"

"What," Jack said flatly.

"I've got an idea!" Luke piped up, his vibrant eyes suddenly resembling glowing lightbulbs. Karen's query had gone unnoticed. "You've gotta make it into a _statement!_"

Dale stoically gulped his beer down and sighed. "Christ."

* * *

Jack stood at the entrance to his farm, surveying the land in awe, his exhaustion, aches, and burns melting away as he drank the sight in.

The neatly-plowed fields were showing slight signs of growth already, buds and vines and stems popping up intermittently. His house - _his_ house, his very own - sat, blanketed in the inviting golds and oranges of the setting sun, waiting for him to claim it. On the sign arching over the entryway to the farm, Luke had painted a rather crude, sloppy smiley face giving the victory sign.

On one end of the field, Gotz and Dale repaired the stable, uke handling the coop, and Bo handling the relatively modest damage to the barn. Duke and Manna stood behind Jack, murmuring their appreciation.

"Oh, it's going to be so strange without you at home, honey!" Manna whispered, the slight worry marring her features unnoticed by Jack as they hugged. "You know you're more than welcome to come back and visit at any time!"

"Gonna be a hell of a farmer," Duke said proudly, clapping Jack on the shoulder with a beefy hand. "You go on and farm the _shit_ out of this land."

"Yeah," Jack whispered, fighting away the small strains of anxiety that were stirring in the back of his mind. He waved to them and ran to his house excitedly, the sound of the door slamming echoing off of the new, sturdy walls, followed by the _thud_ of his suitcases dropping to the floor.

Another thump followed suit as Jack himself blacked out and dropped to the floor, his energy completely drained.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **LUKE! Fuck yeah! This is my first time writing him - pity he was only a cameo. Well, things are finally getting moving! Let's farming! Wake up, Jack!

As always, thanks to anyone who's reviewed thus far, and feel free to leave one yourself. Feedback is always welcome.


	6. The Blue Traveler

**Pre-chapter notes: **This chapter has undergone a fair bit of heavy editing and tweaking (as have bits and pieces of previous chapters, notably 4 and 5) to make it my own. Chapter 7 will receive a similar treatment.

Chapter 6: The Blue Traveler

* * *

The faint scent of jasmine woke him, though it had an oddly antiseptic tinge to it.

Frowning and squirming, Jack turned over on his thin mattress, arching his back and scratching at the itchy bandages that were wound around his tingling skin. The massive wave of pain that followed caused him to let out his breath in a loud hiss.

"Don't scratch," a gentle, but stern voice admonished. "You'll only aggravate your skin further."

Puzzled, Jack slowly let his eyes creak open, groaning at the harsh white glare that seemed to assault him from all directions. Was this that light people always talked about going into? "Elli? ...I'm not at home, am I?"

"Not for the time being, no."

He heard a soft rustling, and as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sterile gleam of the room he was in, he spotted his friend out of the corner of his eye, sitting at the side of his bed. She was clad in a powder blue dress, a frilly white apron tied around the front, and her honey-colored eyes were studying him with a mixture of concern and disapproval.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, adjusting his bed so that he could sit upright. She handed him a cup of water, which he took gratefully. "Dizzy, weak, nauseous?"

In spite of the uncomfortable heat blanketing him, Jack felt his lips tug upward in a smirk as he looked at Elli. "How do I feel?"

"Yes, that's what - oh, no." Her eyes widened in realization, and she tried to force a scowl into place. "No, no, no-"

"Like fire," he sang, his voice quavering. "Hellfire... this pyyyyyre-" The rest of his words were lost as he doubled over in silent laughter.

Letting an amused snort slip out, Elli smiled and shook her head, bustling over to the medicine cabinet. "I can tell you're feeling better already."

"You make it easier," he told her, finally catching his breath. "What happened, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing at all. You just overdid it with the work the past two weeks, and you let yourself get severely sunburned." She frowned. "You know, if you're going to be working the fields half-naked, you should at least use sunscreen."

Jack looked down at his torso and arms, which were covered in a thick layer of bandages. "I dunno, I look pretty white to me." He caught a glimpse of his dark-pink hands and grimaced. "But, uhh, I see what you mean." Screwing his eyes shut, he added, "My head is killing me."

Laughing softly, Elli went to get him another cup of water and some aspirin, which he swallowed obediently upon her return. "I put some lotion on your skin, so that should cool you off some and help with any itching. And as for that exhaustion..." She shrugged. "All I can say is 'Don't overdo it'. I guess at least you've gotten the clearing out of the way, but don't kill yourself out there."

Nodding and feeling a twinge of guilt in his stomach, Jack writhed around uncomfortably, the heat that seemed to radiate from his body making anything as simple as even sitting around into a living hell. "Who brought me here, anyway?"

"I did!" Luke's muffled voice bellowed from the other side of the door. Frowning, Elli walked over to the door, flung it open, and shot Luke a look so severe, Jack thought it was a wonder that a choir didn't start chanting ominously in Latin. "Hi!" Luke shouted obliviously, waving at Jack while Elli hissed at him to quiet down.

Jack waved back tiredly and thanked Luke, his gratitude ebbing as the volume of Luke's voice made his headache worse.

"Anytime, man! Just say th-" the rest of his words were muffled as Elli groaned and closed the door on him. After pondering the decision for a moment, she threw the door open again to meet his broadly-grinning face, thanked him profusely for bringing Jack in, and shut the door once more.

"At least he's got a good heart," she mused, rummaging through a nearby cabinet. Pulling out a bottle and two tubes of what looked to be topical cream, she dropped them into a small plastic bag, handing it to Jack. "Just apply that cream to your burns and take one of those antibiotics a day to help with any swelling... and take plenty of cold baths and showers. At the very least, wear long-sleeved clothing and a hat to cover as much of your body as possible while you work, until the sunburn's gone, no matter how much Popuri and Karen like to watch."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at this news, and couldn't help but smirk. "Can't fault their taste. Guess Karen's moved on from chasing Luke."

Elli snickered. "Oh, no. Karen _was_ paying more attention to Luke than you. Rick's not too thrilled either way."

Jack tapped his chin thoughtfully, then nodded, humming appreciatively. "...Still can't fault her taste."

"You're just full of surprises," Elli said, raising her eyebrows slightly. Her face then went serious. "And really, Jack, don't push yourself that hard again. You don't know how scared we were."

"But-"

With a flash of the same severe, wide-eyed glare she had given Luke earlier, Jack found himself too intimidated to do anything else but nod his head rapidly, wondering if he'd just heard someone faintly cry "_Sanguis, bibimus_". Satisfied, Elli left the room to get Jack's discharge papers from the doctor, leaving him alone to stew in his thoughts. Had he really overdone it, planting the entire field straight away? Each afternoon, he'd ignore the stitch in his side and the burning in his chest after watering and weeding the fields, immediately moving on to help out on the construction project - anything to keep his mind as busy as his body.

_Well, it's just gonna be the fields now,_ he thought, laying back down and staring up at the ceiling. _It'd be a waste of time and money to ditch half the crops at this point. Then, I can just do... whatever with the rest of my days. Dust the house, rearrange the furniture, fish, mine... hell, maybe I'll just get a sheep or something after the first harvest is done. Name her "Mrs. Zimmerman". That'd be a really good name for a goldfish, actually..._

As the options whizzed by in his head, Elli returned, followed by Luke, and a stoic-looking, slightly older Asian man with neatly-brushed black hair. He withdraw a clipboard from his lab coat and jotted a few notes down, Luke peering over his shoulder curiously.

"Trent Peng," the man greeted, his dark eyes not leaving the clipboard in front of him while he nodded. He made a low, disapproving noise in his throat. "Elli tells me you overestimated what you were capable of handling."

"What I _said_ was that he exhausted himself," Elli protested, her cheeks flushing as Jack shot her a hurt look. "That's all."

"Same thing," Trent sighed, scribbling something on the clipboard. "I want you to take it easy for the next few days," he added, peering over the edge of his clipboard at Jack. "Stay out of the sun as much as you can, plenty of fluids and rest, and try to keep your body temperature low. Elli already told you the rest, I trust."

Elli smiled proudly. "I certainly did, Doctor."

"Excellent," Trent said, causing Elli to flush again - this time, however, she looked quite pleased. "Check back with me in... around three weeks. I don't want to see you back in this bed again, is that clear?"

Slightly annoyed, Jack nodded. "What about my farm work? I mean... I've got a lot cut out for me with the fields. I've still gotta be able to tend to those."

Elli's eyes lit up. "Just leave that to me. I've got an idea."

Jack shrugged, instantly regretting the movement when the bandages scraped against his skin. "Alright, then... am I good to go?"

"No reason why you shouldn't be," Trent agreed, looking to Elli, who nodded in confirmation. "Well, good evening, Jack. Err, Mr. Potter," he added, nodding to Luke.

"Catch ya later, alligator!" Luke called as he and Jack left the clinic, slipping into the supermarket next door.

"Oh, Jack! I haven't gotten a good look at you since you've gotten back!" Sasha Clark called, sweeping around the counter on the far wall and rushing over to hug him.

"Hi, Mrs. Clark," Jack responded, his voice muffled against her bosom.

On the other side of the store, Karen wandered over to Luke with a predatory smile, looking a bit overly made-up for a simple night shift at the grocer's.

As Jack wandered between the aisles, gathering food and toiletries for his house, he caught sight Karen circling in on her prey, wearing a tight green dress that showed about as much as a _Playboy_ centerfold. With what he hoped was a subtle movement, Jack pulled his jacket down a bit lower over the front of his jeans, which were becoming uncomfortably tight.

"Sooo, Luke," Karen purred, stroking his forearm as he surveyed a crate of bananas with almost reverent fascination, "the Goddess Festival's coming up in a week, you know." She shifted so that her cleavage was resting in his peripheral vision, causing Sasha to shake her head in fierce disapproval while she rang Jack up. "It's tradition for boys and girls to go together. Just in case you wanted to have some fun - well, that is, I-"

"Whoa, cool!" he yelled excitedly, Karen's green eyes momentarily lighting up. "They've got chocolate bananas here! How'd I miss those before? Boss!"

Sighing in disappointment, Karen tried a different tact that was more in line with her obvious attire: "Have you got a girlfriend? I mean, I'd be pretty surprised if you didn't, but-" Her face fell as he walked past her, whistling cheerfully, his arms loaded with boxes of chocolate-covered bananas. "For fuck's _sake_," she hissed, watching her mother ring him up as they chatted about his upcoming departure from Mineral Town the next day. Looking like she wanted to break something, she stared forlornly at the back of his tight jeans as he left, waving goodbye to everyone.

"Hey, you kind of dodged a bullet there anyway," Jack assured her, staring after Luke as well and patting a scowling Karen on the shoulder. "Besides, I thought you and Rick were... you know."

Karen's eyes shot open in surprise, her voice shooting back up to its normal pitch. "Huh? Who told you _that_? Rick and I... I mean, he's a great_friend_ and all, but you couldn't pull the stick out of his ass with a tractor, you know?"

Silently agreeing, Jack gathered his bags and left, listening to Sasha admonishing her daughter as the door closed behind him.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure why, but when Jack awoke abruptly the next morning, he had the unnerving feeling that he wasn't quite alone. Cautiously stretching his arm out before him, he checked the expanse of full-size mattress before him. He found only Monsieur Boopsie, whom he pulled in close to cuddle. Sighing in relief, he closed his eyes and snuggled deeper beneath his warm green comforter, willing time to freeze.

It didn't.

A booming knock on his front door caused him to shriek and tumble out of his bed in alarm. "God damn it, owww..." Rubbing the back of his head and hissing, Jack disentangled himself from the comforter and looked at his alarm clock. Seven A.M. The alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour.

"I knew he was in there!" an all-too-familiar, muffled voice crowed triumphantly. "Rise and shine, buddy!"

"_Luke_? Jesus Christ," Jack sighed, storming out to the foyer and ripping the front door open. He was greeted by Luke's ever-grinning face. "Don't you even _sleep_? It's seven in the morning!"

"Just the time for a budding farmer to wake up and get going!" Luke cheered, bouncing up and down with energy Jack found just plain inappropriate for the early hour. Or perhaps it was just envy talking. "Heh heh, budding! Get it, 'cause-"

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah, yeah... you need something?"

Luke tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Two somethings, really! First, I've come to say goodbye!" He nodded fervently. "Boat's leaving in about twenty minutes, but it was a blast meeting you guys!" His rough, calloused hand shot out and grabbed Jack's, shaking it with such exuberant force that the young farmer felt his arm would be dislocated. He hissed as the sunburned skin was irritated.

"Okay, okay!" Jack yanked his hand away, cradling it carefully. "That it?"

"Naw, I brought someone over to meet you!" Luke stepped aside and waved with a flourish at the figure behind him. "C'mon, Cliff, say hi!"

Luke stepped aside to reveal a puzzled-looking boy about Jack's age, shaggy brown hair tied in a messy ponytail at the nape of his neck. He bowed wordlessly, while Luke bid them farewell and left to go catch his boat.

A brief moment of silence passed atop the stares the two boys exchanged, Jack rubbing the back of his neck and nodding stiffly. He missed Luke's motor-mouthed presence already.

"So... uhhh... Cliff, right?"

"Yeah," Cliff responded after a second, not looking entirely sure of his own answer. "Yeah, that's me. Elli, I think...? Oh, I know you're Jack, that is, but - the nurse, I mean, she sent me-"

Jack held up a hand to halt Cliff's speech, sighing. "So that's what she was talking about... look, I appreciate the offer, but..."

_Elli will kill me if I refuse his help._

"...But Elli will kill me if I refuse your help," Jack repeated unconsciously. He blinked in confusion and shook his head rapidly, as though trying to send the thought flying out of his ear. "Wait, that's not-"

"Oh, great!" Cliff cut in, smiling. "So, when do I start?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, Jack closed his eyes. "_We_ start after breakfast."

"Huh?" Smile fading, Cliff tugged at his ponytail and traced a muddy boot on the porch floor. "But, uhh... Elli said you-"

"_No_," Jack responded, a bit more firmly than he'd intended. Seeing Cliff flinch, he softened his voice, adding, "You work this whole field by yourself, you're liable to end up in the clinic too. Wouldn't be fair, right? I mean, especially since I'm the one who decided to fill the whole thing up in the first place." He gestured to the rows of sprouts and buds with a sweeping motion.

"I guess..."

After a quick breakfast, the two set to work, watering and weeding under the cloudy sky. Though not as chatty as Luke or as speedy as Ann, Cliff worked well enough that the two were done in a matter of hours - at which point a slightly irate Ann arrived with lunch, her sour expression quickly turning to surprise.

"Didn't think I'd see him out and about so soon," Ann mused, watching Cliff make his way to the river that ran by Jack's farm. She sat down with Jack and split the sandwich she'd brought, chewing thoughtfully as she watched the strange young man begin lazily catching fish with his bare hands. "Elli sent him, right?"

Jack nodded, sipping from his bottle of lemonade. "Yeah, why?"

"Guess she thinks he's good to work now..." At Jack's questioning look, Ann shrank back a bit, waving it off with a forced grin. "Nothing! Just an injury is all!"

"...She said she found me just... lying there on the shore," Cliff explained the next day, brows furrowed as he watered a patch of flowers. "And the doctor told me it was a miracle that they were able to revive me at all."

A stretch of silence followed his admission. Scrambling for words, Jack could only come up with, "So what was that all about?" At Cliff's questioning glance, he clarified: "I mean, washing up on the beach? How'd that happen?"

The inquiry seemed to strike Cliff by surprise, and he shrugged helplessly. "I really don't know. I woke up here, and whatever happened before that... I don't even know where I could've drifted in _from_." He looked up at the sky, as though silently hoping it would shoot an answer down at him. When it didn't, he excused himself, heading back to the river to fish some more.

Ann continued to bring Jack lunch as the last days of March flowed into April, looking increasingly annoyed as she arrived, and offering feeble excuses when asked why Doug was letting her ditch work so much.

"He knows I wanna help you get back on your feet," Ann explained, her enthusiasm not quite reaching her eyes. With a swift motion, she reached down and yanked a weed from the ground, tossing it carelessly over her shoulder. "See? Teamwork! Yep."

"How did we ever get along without you?" Jack asked dryly.

"Plus, I haven't told Elli that you're essentially going against her and Trent's advice..."

Jack sat up a bit straighter at this. "Ann, you're the best damn worker I've ever met. Uhh, one of them," he amended, as a puzzled, dripping Cliff returned from the river with a fistful of wriggling trout, shrugging and heading inside. "Wait, you and Elli aren't even that close anyway."

Ann flashed him a genuine grin this time. "So it works out perfectly!"

"Speaking of work-" Jack began, but Ann quickly got up and followed Cliff inside the farmhouse, tossing out a hurried remark about how delicious the the bacon smelled. "Ann, he's making fish! Geez..."

* * *

Wednesday - two days before the Goddess Festival - Jack and Cliff made their way down to the inn to catch Ann before she could leave, discussing her odd behavior over the past week.

"It's not like I'm being an ingrate, right? I mean, it's nice that she's always bringing lunch," Jack reasoned aloud, receiving a nod in response. "This just isn't like her, though. She didn't even want to stop working when she had chicken pox!"

Cliff just shrugged, looking at the ground thoughtfully. "Maybe... it's just changed since you were gone?"

"I guess, but-"

Muffled shouts reached their ears as they approached the inn door, and they glanced at each other, puzzled, before the door flew open and Ann stormed out, in the middle of a tirade.

"-tell us herself if you knew how to fix a goddamn banister!" she finished venomously, slamming the door and uttering a frustrated shriek to the sky. Muttering darkly, she turned around and gasped when she saw the two concerned, slightly nervous boys standing there.

"Sup, Ann," Jack intoned casually, raising a hand in a halfhearted wave, in faint hopes of distracting her from the argument he'd just overheard.

"You guys here for lunch?" she muttered, turning her head slightly and acting as though she had a speck of dust in her eye. Her face was slightly pink, and her cheeks were damp.

"Ann, are you alr-" Cliff spoke up, but Ann cut him off.

"Have fun." Without another word, she ran off in the direction of the church, leaving Jack and Cliff to head inside anxiously. Doug's greeting was uncharacteristically curt, bringing them their food in silence and retreating back into the kitchen with his newspaper clenched tightly in his hand. His eyes twitched slightly.

Cliff bowed politely to his roommate, Gray, who sat at the bar with an open book and a sandwich. He looked wholly unfazed by the argument that had just finished.

"Cliff," Gray murmured, waving idly.

Cliff sat down next to Jack and leaned in close, lowering his voice and pushing his bowl of noodles away. "What do you think that was all about, anyway?"

"I dunno," Jack admitted, picking the sausage off of his pizza and making a frowning face with it. "I mean, I know what _part _of it was about, but what started it-"

"Some crap about the festival on Tuesday," Gray muttered indifferently from behind his book. "Sounded like it got pretty nasty for something like that."

Recalling what he'd heard Ann shriek at her father before storming outside, Jack nodded slowly as he ate, shivering. "Yeah. Yeah, it really did."

A loud, crashing noise from the kitchen caused the three of them to jump, followed by muffled swearing. The source of the noise was revealed to be Doug, shuffling around in tense silence while he picked up shards of a broken bowl from the floor. Looking up to see the three boys staring at him, he wordlessly waved them off with such ferocity that they backed out in a heartbeat.

As they headed back to the farm in silence - Cliff having decided to cut his daily trip to church for the time being - the two boys spotted Popuri and Karen, who were walking up to Chicken Lil's and jabbering away merrily.

"...But I dunno, I guess I need to set my sights a bit higher or something..."

"Maybe you should set your sights on Jack," Popuri whispered loudly, looking shocked at her own admission. She blushed and giggled scandalously, squealing when Karen gave her a playful shove. "Come on, he's _so handsome!_" Behind them, Jack felt his ego swell slightly.

Karen scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. You just think he has a nice butt. He's no Luke, though... besides, I think _you've_ already got him covered," she teased, to which Popuri hummed in blissful agreement. Sighing, Karen continued, "Mom keeps bugging me to go with Rick, but... come _on_. No offense," she added quickly. "It's just... you know, like I said. Set my sights a bit higher."

Popuri nodded thoughtfully, while Jack grinned, turning to look at a bemused Cliff. Putting a finger on either side of his mouth, Jack let out a shrill whistle, causing the two girls to jump and whirl around. Popuri's legs tangled in her green skirt, and she fell over in a spray of rosy hair. Jack couldn't help but think she resembled cotton candy.

"Oh, you jackass!" Karen groaned, shoving Jack clumsily and turning to help Popuri up. "What do you want?"

Jack wiped his eyes and let his giggles die down. "I, ahh... well, I think that'll be plenty for now," he said, catching his breath. Feigning innocence, he continued, "By the way, I heard the Goddess Festival's coming up this Friday..."

Popuri let out a quiet squeak and covered her mouth, while Karen simply rolled her eyes and nodded, preening. She carefully adjusted her blouse, letting it slip down her shoulder. "Maybe it is. What about it?"

"You girls got dates yet?" Jack wheedled, clasping his hands behind his back and looking to the sky. Cliff turned red and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking at the ground with intense interest.

Karen simply buffed her nails on her chest and shrugged, though she looked upward and eyed Cliff hungrily. To Jack, she almost seemed to have sprouted fangs. "Maybe. I was thinking of asking Trent, but he's always so _busy_."

"But Mary-oof!" Popuri whined as Karen elbowed her in the stomach, hissing at her to be quiet. Her green eyes flicked to Cliff to gauge his response, and she sighed - he was trying to make himself vanish behind Jack.

"What about you, Popuri?" In spite of his reservations, Jack's grin was so wide it hurt his face - he felt like the Cheshire Cat. It only grew bigger when Popuri buried her face in her hands and swooned.

"I, ahh... umm... that... I mean, no, not really," she babbled, not meeting his eyes.

"You know," Karen said, raising her voice slightly, "Elli isn't going with anyone, either."

Jack felt his interest briefly spike, but shook it off. Elli could get a date, no problem. "Maybe Trent can go with her. So, Popuri..." He didn't seem to see Karen's annoyed glare before she turned her attentions back on Cliff.

"You know, Cliff, there's nothing a woman loves more than a hard-working man," she purred, uttering Cliff's name with such lust that he felt it should have been censored. "And I'm sure the Harvest Goddess would love to see how hard you work, too..."

Cliff simply gulped as Karen tweaked his cheek, sashaying past him and twirling her long braid like a tassel. "I... uhh... I mean, you - is that even-"

"The festival starts at ten on Friday," she called over her shoulder, winking. Popuri hurried after her, squealing happily and hiding her red face in her hands.

"But who's Ann going with?" Cliff finally choked out as the two boys made it back to the farm. He sounded slightly breathless.

"Ann will be fine," Jack said, shaking Cliff's shoulder lightly. "Snap out of it. You're stuck with Karen now." _And I'm stuck - I'm_ going_ with Popuri._Somehow, despite having been the one who'd asked her, the thought made him feel a bit uneasy.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I'm a fair bit happier with this chapter now than the original incarnation - notably, reworking Cliff's character and background slightly.

Major thanks to Seventh Chance and Rune Reverend for having the integrity to point out that I was letting myself get carried away and turning into a mimic with the recent chapters (hence, the edits).


	7. Love Is In Bloom

**Pre-chapter note: **This chapter has undergone heavy revision in some parts.

Chapter 7: Love Is In Bloom

* * *

For the first time since he'd arrived, Jack was quite gratefully relieved of the constant supervision of the sun, his sunburn leaving his peeling skin with only a faint rose hue at this point. The day of the Goddess Festival rolled in with an overcast, slate-colored sky, the smell of rain thick in the air. In spite of this, Jack and Cliff toiled in the fields during the early hours, not wanting to chance the rain deciding not to fall after all - too many of the crops were mere days away from harvest at this point.

"Whoa," Cliff whispered, eyes wide as he surveyed the increasingly colorful patches of vegetation stretching across the land like a gently-swaying patchwork quilt. "I've never seen anything like it before!"

Plopping himself down atop his shipping crate and panting, Jack nodded in agreement. He popped his cap from his head to start fanning himself. "I'm never planting this whole field ever again. Never." He turned to Cliff warily. "You're almost free, Genie."

Cliff frowned in confusion, shaking his head. "Jack, maybe we should go inside. I think the sun's gotten to you."

The two headed inside to get ready to meet their dates, Jack insisting to a worried Cliff that the rest of the watering could wait until after the festival. "The weather'll probably get it done for us first," he said reassuringly. "Besides, if Karen rips your balls off for being late, _you're_ gonna be the one fishing them outta the ocean."

Cliff gulped, and laughed nervously. "Oh, don't be silly, I'm sure she's-"

At Jack's somber gaze, Cliff went white, and bolted for Jack's bathroom to shower and change into the fresh pair of clothes he'd brought over. Once the two were cleaned up and dressed for their dates, they split up at the chicken farm, Cliff jogging down to the supermarket to meet Karen. Jack raised his eyebrows as he approached Popuri, looking quite cheerfully pink in her elegant gown. Various types and colors of flowers were woven through her thick hair, making her look almost like a very curvy fairy.

She giggled and curtsied, spinning around to let the wide skirt float around her in a circle. "I feel like a princess," she sang dreamily, taking Jack's elbow and letting him lead her down to the square. "And you look like a... well, not a prince," she admitted, taking in his slacks and sweater. She spotted his slight frown and amended quickly, "But you look nice! I didn't even know you owned clothes like this!"

"What, nice ones?"

"Well, yeah," Popuri stated matter-of-factly. She crinkled her nose. "You must be sweating like a pig in that thing, though!"

"I'm not taking my shirt off again, Popuri," Jack chuckled, earning a quizzical stare from the bubbly fairy girl. His laughter died down and melted into a sigh. "Ah, you know what, here we are!"

The town square was draped with vibrant garlands and wreaths. Long tables creaked and groaned under the myriad of dishes cooked by the townsfolk, and a large radio in the corner was blaring a peppy, Irish-sounding jig. A thick buzz of conversation hung in the air, pushing up against the oppressive skin of clouds stretched over the sky. Several curious pairs of eyes flickered over to Jack as he and Popuri brushed through, politely greeting everyone. On the other side of the square, Karen steered a very uncomfortable-looking Cliff around as though he were a prize show dog.

"Oh, there you are, Jack! I can't believe I haven't seen you!"

Jack turned his head at the sound of the demure voice, and saw a gentle-looking girl with long, black braided hair and soft gray eyes approaching him. Mary Welvin stopped a short distance in front of him and extended her hand in a comically formal manner, prompting Jack to take it and laugh, shaking it.

"Mary, darling, a pleasure, a pleasure," he declared in a horribly stuffy, posh accent, prompting Mary to smile and shake her head. Dropping the accent, he continued, "So, how's the library been doing?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, wonderful - I mean, it's very quiet... well, of course it is, but you know what I mean - but my father's practically filled half the shelves with books he's written!"

"Yeah, I remember him telling me about those... how's Anna doing? I haven't seen her yet."

Mary's smile faltered for the briefest of instants, before widening again, her eyes spotting a welcome excuse. "Oh, there's Trent. I'm very sorry, Jack, but if you'll excuse me..." Bowing, she weaved her way through the crowd to meet with her date.

Jack scratched his head, eyebrows knit together. "Huh. What was _that_ all about?"

"What was what all about?" Elli's voice called from behind him.

Turning around, Jack let out a lascivious whistle at the sight of Elli, whose hair was pulled back into a flower-laced bun. "Hey, sexy mama. Wanna kill all humans?"

"What, again?" Elli smiled and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Behave yourself!" She looked around, a slight frown on her face now. "I thought you were coming here with Popuri?"

"Huh? I thought so too." Looking around, Jack spotted her having a somewhat-muffled argument with Rick. "Oh. Nothing new there..." The chicken farmer glanced his way, and Jack suddenly felt his blood run cold. He threw up his hands defensively and mouthed a silent "_What_?" Rick simply shook his head in disgust and stormed off toward a refreshment table to scarf down jam tarts, Popuri stomping behind him and babbling a stream of words that got lost in the crowd's rabble. "Guess he's still pissed at me... geez."

"A few people are, yes." Elli rubbed his shoulder, and he reached back and patted her hand. "Look, you're doing great on the farm, though. Let them be upset - you're still the one with the results. They'll come around."

A small flash of realization jolted him, and Jack shook Elli's hand off. "Hey, uhh, so, who'd you come here with, anyway?"

Elli flushed, looking down at the ground. "Oh, no one." Jack couldn't help but notice that her eyes darted meekly to Gray, who had gotten roped into a conversation with a few of the villagers, including Karen. Their eyes were hard and glittering beneath their pleasant expressions. "I was too busy to ask someone."

Jack followed her gaze, and raised his voice: "Hey, Gray!"

Gray looked up, surprised, while Elli shook her head vehemently and protested: "Oh, Jack, don't! What are you-" She sighed as Gray headed over to them, shooting Jack an annoyed stare. "Hi, Gray."

He nodded brusquely. "Elli." His attentions turned back to Jack, fiddling with his ever-present blue hat. "What?"

Jack just grinned and jerked his head meaningfully in Elli's direction. After seeing the rather cross stares he was receiving from the two - who were pointedly avoiding looking at each other - his smile faded. He jerked his head in Elli's direction again.

"Okay, Lassie, that's enough," Elli said firmly, grabbing Jack by the ear and yanking him away from Gray, ignoring his pained yelps. She leaned in close and hissed, "Look, I already asked him yesterday, and he said no."

Jack suddenly felt two feet tall, his face growing warm. He jammed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, tracing his shoe along the outline of the cobblestones. "Whoops. Sorry."

"It's okay," Elli sighed. She adjusted the straps of her dress and smoothed out the skirt. "Anyway, I've got to go meet up with the girls - the main dance should be starting soon." She waved, and smiled back at him over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd. Jack had a brief glimpse of Ann joining her, looking thoroughly irritated - Jack wasn't quite sure if it was due to having to dress up for the festival, or for more personal reasons.

He waved to a passing Saibara, and headed past where Sasha, Anna, and a slightly worn-looking Manna were gossiping excitedly. The look Anna gave Jack made him silently wonder if she and Elli were somehow related, and he ducked his head and scurried past, feeling her gaze burn holes through the back of his head.

Cliff broke through the crowd, panting, as he caught up with Jack. "Karen finally released me," he wheezed, looking slightly pink. He grabbed a glass of wine off of a nearby table and downed it in one gulp, pulling a face. "I'm alive. I'm okay. I'm okay."

Laughing, Jack pulled Cliff away from the table before he could empty every glass there. "Calm down! It's just Karen. She's harmless!" Eyeing Cliff thoughtfully, he prodded: "You've never been on a date before, have you?"

"I probably have." Cliff glanced over nervously in the direction where the five girls had congregated. "I'm just not sure I've ever seen them _that_aggressive before..."

"I'm pretty sure even _you_ would remember that."

"Ann still looks pretty upset," Cliff noted, watching with a faraway look in his eyes as the redhead clumsily practiced her steps with Karen, the blonde patiently correcting her posture and footwork every five seconds. "And she won't talk to me about it. Neither will Doug."

"Look, I know you're staying there, but that doesn't mean you have to make everything okay for them," Jack assured him. "Just let them settle down and work this out on their own. They're usually really close, I'm sure they'll make up soon."

Cliff just sighed and cast his morose gaze down at the ground, looking lost in thought.

At the far end of the square, behind the five girls, a podium had been set up with a small microphone attached. Eliciting a screech of feedback, Thomas tapped it and tilted his head. "Good news, everyone! The microphone works!" Clearing his throat loudly into the speaker, he boomed, "Good afternoon, Mineral Town! Welcome to the beginning of springtime!" Harris sighed in disgust and whispered something hurriedly into his father's ear. "Err, yes, welcome to the middle of springtime!"

The audience chuckled and clapped politely, Sasha screaming, "Take it off, Thomas!" Jack choked on his drink as Thomas removed his tiny red top hat and wiggled it in the air amid the raucous laughter, waggling his eyebrows and doing a little dance before returning to the matter at hand:

"Yes, well, we aren't here for _that_ kind of show." Chuckling good-naturedly, Thomas gestured to the five girls lined up before him, standing in a W-shaped formation. "Now, we have some new and returning faces in the crowd for this year's festival, so it's my pleasure to treat you all to the traditional dance that pays praise and thanks to our glorious Harvest Goddess: the Cherry Blossom Jig!"

"The _what_?" Karen cried in disbelief, looking revolted by the name.

"Oh, it's the same dance you always do," Thomas admonished, waddling over to the radio and pushing play on the tape deck. "But that new name sounds positively jazzy, yes, yes? Hit it, girls!"

The wind seemed to pick up slightly as a harp drifted wistfully across the square, gradually accompanied by strings, flutes, pipes, and rattling percussion. Karen and Popuri took the lead with a graceful jig, rotating in place, and grabbing each others' hand to turn in nearly-full circles before spinning the other way. Behind them, Mary, Ann, and Elli simply continued the starting steps of the jig in a manner that reminded Jack of a Riverdance show he'd been dragged to once. There were, however, a few glaring differences: The slightly out-of-sync and stumbling Ann and Elli looked like they wanted to be anywhere else in the world at that moment, while Mary's movements were largely precise and wholly mechanical.

Jack looked up curiously, half-expecting the clouds to suddenly dissipate, though not entirely sure why they would have.

At the end of the dance, polite applause sounded before the townspeople sought out their dates for the next few dances - a rowdy pop song was now blaring over the radio as Karen and Ann took it hostage, bumping their hips against each other and laughing. Elli leaned against the wall, tapping her feet and scowling, while Mary and Trent held each other quietly and swayed off-tempo, smiling.

"Oh, I _love_ this song!" Popuri squealed, springing towards Jack in a flurry of pink and pulling him into the center of the crowd with a startled yell. The two fell into a comfortable rhythm, Popuri singing along loudly as they spun each other around, clapping and swaying their hips hypnotically. Jack felt a bit ridiculous as he and Popuri turned to bump their butts together, but he let a goofy grin spread over his face nonetheless as the crowd parted to allow them room and watch them. He hadn't had such fun dancing in quite a while.

"Work it, Jack!" Karen yelled, popping up next to him and spinning him around to dance with her. Behind them, Popuri shrugged and lunged to the edges of the crowd to pull a wide-eyed Gray away from his companionable silence with Cliff and the ever-placid Pastor Carter. Gray gawked at the vibrant pink blur swaying and shimmying in front of him, before rolling his eyes and walking back over to the table he'd been at moments before. The oblivious girl continued to twist her body to the music. Jack spotted many admiring stares directed at him and Karen, their moves in perfect sync with each other, closing his eyes and letting his body get carried away with the rhythm.

The song ended to approving hoots and hollers, and with a screech of "CHAAAANGE PLACES!" from the mayor, Jack found himself dancing with a confused-looking Ann, staring at him as though she had no idea how she'd gotten there. A lively salsa song started up. Off to the side, Duke and Sasha were engaged in a seamless salsa dance like a pair of pros, while Anna had trapped Jeff in an awkward foxtrot, and Basil and Manna grinned their way through a terrible jitterbug.

"And you told us you sucked at dancing now," Duke drawled as he and Sasha shimmied past, giving Jack a slick grin. Jack shrugged and smiled back weakly, wincing as Ann trod on his loafers.

"Sorry," she hissed, grimacing. "Sorry!" she repeated, eyes widening as he let out a pained bellow, her thigh somehow managing to slam between his legs as she tripped over her dress.

"Guess I'm not having kids," Jack groaned, keeping his legs closed as tightly as possible for the remainder of his dance with her. As the next song died down, he waved to her, hobbling away from danger. Ann took up with an uncharacteristically nervous-looking Trent, who was taking care to keep her at arm's length. The wind had picked up considerably, and was whipping the tablecloths and garlands around, flower petals scattering everywhere.

A deafening crack of thunder whipped across the sky, stealing the music with it and leaving only screeching, loud static to compete with the groans that were now issuing from the crowd. Jeff scrambled away gratefully from Anna's grasp, rushing to help cover the tables of food before rain struck.

Shrugging, Jack slipped quietly out of the town square, idly wondering if the static was trying to warn the townsfolk of an approaching Eldritch abomination.

"Oh, there you are!" Popuri called, her heels clicking on the cobblestones as she darted up to Jack and grasped his arm. "Are you scared of thunder, Jack?"

Grimacing, Jack slowed his pace enough to allow Popuri to fall into step beside him. "Nah. I, uhh... well, I just wanted to make sure the chickens were inside," he blurted out, instantly chiding himself.

"You have chickens?" Popuri squealed excitedly, squeezing his arm like a stress ball and ignoring the pained grunt it elicited. "Oh, I _never_ saw chickens over there! When did you get them?"

_Oh, boy. _"Chickens? I said I had chickens?" Jack let out a high-pitched laugh. "Wow, how drunk am _I_? I hate chickens!"

Popuri spun him around, nearly ripping his arm out in the process. Her crimson eyes flashed dangerously. "_You what?_"

"I mean, you know, the food! Chickens are so cute, it's just - ahahahaha!" Jack rubbed the back of his neck, flinching as he saw Popuri's expression soften. "Heh... yep. I've had juice and now I can see butterflies flying!"

Popuri giggled. "You were always so silly, Jack! I think I missed that the most about you!" Humming cheerfully, she slipped her hands into his.

_Crap._

"It was really fun dancing with you, too," she continued, her voice dreamy now. "You're really good, you know? So sexy..."

"Th-thanks?" Jack gulped, his palms sweating. Popuri's grip was firm, and her face hovered inches from his. "You're freaking me out, Popuri..."

"Maybe we can spend more time together, Jack?"

Her lips were pressed against his before he could duck, and he could only stare in shock at her closed eyelids and slightly-upturned nose, her content sighs brushing against every nerve he had. When she pulled away, she was blushing profusely, hiding her face in her hands and squealing ecstatically. "Ohhhh, I can't believe I just did that! And Dad always said my soul would get sucked out if I did! But it didn't happen when Karen and I did it, but maybe it's supposed to be different with boys? Ohhh, wait until I tell _her_!" She tugged excitedly at her hair. "Oh, wait, no... no, but if Mom hears, she'll be angry..." Her smile faded. "Maybe if I just tell her you're not a bad guy..."

Jack's heart sank. _Lillia too? _Popuri's mother had been one of the most kind-hearted, gentle people he'd known. "Look, I-"

"Jack, is something wrong?" Popuri cocked her head to the side, studying his face. "Is it because of what I said about my mom?"

"No, uhh..." Jack shook his head. "Just gas."

She scrunched up her face in distaste. "Ewww!"

Nodding enthusiastically as he latched onto the excuse, Jack snapped his fingers, backing away and waving at the same time. "Exactly! Gas! Boy, it's horrible. I, uhh... I've gotta get home and do garden forever - uhh, I mean, water the plants before the rain does it because I like doing it, and, uhh... y'know, gas and all..." He spun around and darted off towards the farm, shouting a quick "Bye!" over his shoulder at a very perplexed, albeit giddy, Popuri.

Slamming the door, Jack slumped against it, eyes screwed shut. He couldn't stop licking his lips, wondering why he felt such dread knotting up in the pit of his stomach - Popuri was quite sweet, and beautiful, and certainly interested in him. _Rick and Lillia are going to be upset, _Jack reasoned, before stopping to ponder the significance of this. _Okay, _Lillia's_ going to be upset, _he amended. In spite of this, he still wasn't convinced, and tried combing through his worries and thoughts once more. Coming up empty, he groaned in frustration, banging the back of his head against the door and listening to the heavy rainfall outside.

Moments later, a stray thought struck him, and he sat up straight.

"She and Karen _what_?"

* * *

Hesitant knocks woke Jack up at six the following Tuesday, grumbling and swearing under his breath. "Just a minute!"

The knocks became louder and more insistent as he brushed his teeth, and by the time he reached the door, he was about ready to snap. "Don't you people ever sl-" He stopped mid-sentence as he saw Ann, fist raised in mid-knock. She was clad in ratty pajamas, her feet clad in slippers, and her face twisted in distress. She was holding a suitcase, and a brown paper bag.

"Ann, what the hell?" He stepped aside to let her in, closing the door behind them. "You and Doug didn't-"

"I can't face him right now," she interrupted, slamming her suitcase down on his coffee table and turning to him with a desperate look in her eyes, her messy braid swinging behind her. "We just need to cool off for a while. Can I stay here? You live far enough out that I probably won't run into him."

"Uhh..." His mind reeled with what Sasha and Anna might say if they knew Ann was staying with him - he seemed to be currently immune from Manna's rather vicious gossip reel. He shrugged it off - why worry over rumors? "Sure, sure. What happened?"

Sighing, Ann turned away from him, looking down at the floor in shame. "It... we had a pretty bad fight, and... it just got really bad. I said some stuff, he said some stuff, Mom's name came up..." She wiped her eyes. "I probably shouldn't have run off like that, but I don't think he wants to hear an apology from me right now. I brought some chicken," she added weakly, thrusting the bag into his hands.

"Don't wait too long," he warned her, plodding into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and eyeing the overstuffed suitcase warily, hoping only her rage had led her to pack as much as she had. "...You wear that much during the whole day, right?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And... revised. Thanks again to Seventh Chance and Rune Reverend for the eye-openers. I think I've got it clear as I can get it now.

Feel free to leave a review, as always.


	8. It's All Your Fault

Chapter 8: It's All Your Fault

* * *

Jack stood, frozen in place, as he watched Ann dart about his house like a squirrel on PCP. In her wake, she left gleaming surfaces and the faint scent of lemons and pine, her chatter veering between mindless nothings, or the inadequacy of Jack's cleaning supplies.

"No washer and dryer," she murmured, toting Monsieur Boopsie under her arm and chewing her lip anxiously. "No washer and dryer! Oh, this isn't good, this isn't good-"

"Ann, you've been _using_ the washer and dryer all morning, they're in that room off the kitchen-" He sighed as Ann shot into the laundry room, her strained shriek piercing his ears moments later:

"_Where's your vacuum cleaner?_"

"I already _told_ you three times that I don't have one! Will you _calm down_? Leave _something_ for me to do, it's _my _farm!" Groaning, Jack saw her cramming the stuffed bat into the washing machine. "Manna already washed him, he's fine!"

"Jack, that was weeks ago!" Ann whined, watching him pull the bat from the machine and straighten its ears out. She slammed the lid down and straightened the knobs. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll just go make sure I haven't missed anything."

"Ann, will you just-" Watching the agitated redhead storm past him, Jack slumped against the dryer in defeat, listening to her checking the fridge and fluffing the couch cushions for the third time in an hour.

She'd been on a crazed rampage ever since she'd arrived at his farm that morning, denying him any chance to do his own work: His fridge and cupboards were organized to a nearly fanatical degree; his bedroom and living room were magazine-immaculate; every last piece of clothing had been washed save for what he was currently wearing (Jack silently thanked his lucky stars that Ann hadn't asked about the more questionable items in his underwear drawer); and she'd single-handedly watered and weeded his entire field in under three hours - leaving a puzzled and dejected Cliff to head off to the library.

The entire time, she'd spoken nothing of the argument that had driven her here in the first place.

Jack was at a loss as to how to broach the subject. Ann and Doug had never really _fought_ before, as far as he knew - minor squabbles, playful ribbing, but never anything like he'd heard at the inn three days ago. Nothing like when he'd heard Ann screaming so viciously about her mother's death.

_On the other hand, it's been a _long _time, _he reasoned half-heartedly as he watched Ann head outside to check on the progress of his crops. _Maybe they just grew apart._

"He was crying when I left," Ann muttered that evening, poking listlessly at the fish she'd baked. Her eyes were dull and blank. "I made Dad _cry_. _My _dad. Can you believe it?"

Jack felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. "_What_? And you just _left him like that?_ What the hell's wrong with you, Ann?"

"Oh, you know." Ann's voice had grown bitter. "I'm not enough of a lady like _Mom_ was. I'm twenty-two, and I haven't gotten married yet like _they_ did. Oh, _my_ boyfriend is only here during summer, well _they_ met right here in Mineral Town, well why don't I just dump Kai and start seeing someone _here_ that I'm _not interested in at all _- doesn't matter who - just so Dad can become a grandpa faster, have me settle down in town with kids, and have something to distract him from thinking about _Mom _all the time, oh, what would _Mom _think of how I've turned out-"

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "I just got sick of it. I miss her too, but... lately, it's always, 'I think _she_ would have wanted,' 'I think _she_ would this', 'I think _she_ would that', and so I just told him-" Ann seemed to struggle to get the next words out, then slumped down in her chair helplessly. "Well... you heard what I told him. That it was his fault she's gone. I don't know why I even said it, but I'm sure the whole town heard it. I told him again this morning... and he just looked like... I can't face him now."

Jack stared at his own plate thoughtfully. He wasn't hungry anymore. "Yeah, I heard it. And I also heard you march right down there and apologize to him after we're finished eating."

Ann scowled. "I mean, I will eventually, but-"

"If you wait too long, you'll screw it up like I did!" Jack yelled, his voice drowning hers out.

Crossing her arms, Ann slumped back in her chair and sighed, gazing down at the floor. The silence in the kitchen was almost tangible. With an irritated growl, she drummed her fingers on her elbows and nodded, eyeing him critically. "Fine. I'll go, but just promise me you'll stop-"

A booming knock on the door cut her off once again. "Anastasia Makoto Callahan, you come out here right now and talk to me!" a gruff voice bellowed.

Ann blanched, her mouth moving in wordless shock. Suddenly turning beet-red, she pounded her fists on the table, hissing, "I can't fucking believe he just did that!"

Jack's face had gone curiously blank, only slightly marred by the occasional twitch of his lips or eyes. "Ann... Ann, did he just call you-"

"_Shut up, _Jack." Marching toward the front door, Ann ripped it open, ignoring the loud _thud_ behind her as Jack suddenly fell to the kitchen floor in hysterics. "So, you're doing it that way, huh?" She narrowed her eyes at her father, whose stern face was slowly turning mortified as he started gesturing for her to be quiet. "Okay, _Douglas Meredith Callahan,_ we can play that game."

Doug grimaced and smacked his forehead. "For God's sake, Ann-"

"_DOUGLAS WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?_" Jack screeched from behind them, dissolving once more into helpless laughter.

Ann rolled her eyes, glaring at him over her shoulder. "Oh, right, like _your _middle name's not embarrassing!"

Between scratchy, gurgling giggles, Jack howled, "It isn't! It's _Elllllllvisssssssssssssss!_" before collapsing once more and clutching his sides, tears streaming down his red face.

"That _is_ embarrassing..."

"Come on, we're gonna get nowhere standing here," Doug murmured, letting Ann step past him and slam the door. Jack's uncontrollable laughter faded quickly as they made their way over to the barn in silence. The two of them leaned back against it, side-by-side, staring up at the cloudy night sky.

Ann opened her mouth hesitantly, before closing it and slumping back against the barn wall, eyes shut tight. When her voice came out, it was constricted: "I don't know how you can even stand seeing my face right now, Dad." The words became softer as she continued, "If you hate me-"

"Ann, look at me." Doug tilted her head up gently, his warm gaze meeting her confused one. "You could burn the whole friggin' inn down and I wouldn't hate you. You're my daughter. You're Ann. Maybe you're Anastasia when I'm pissed." He smiled, and Ann giggled slightly, sticking her tongue out in distaste at the name. Doug's brow then furrowed thoughtfully. "But both of them are the same girl I love more than anything, no matter what. It's time I remembered you're a daughter to be proud of, not some way to make up for... ah, damn it, I'm no good at this sappy poetry crap." He hung his head and sighed. Ann suddenly realized how very old and tired her father looked in that moment.

She reached up, patting him on the shoulder. "You were doing pretty good there till you said 'sappy poetry crap,' you know." She smirked slightly. "But it's okay... I know what you mean... it's just, the things I said-"

"We both said things," Doug interrupted, and put a hand up to silence her protests. "I know you didn't mean them. But, Ann..." He rocked back and forth on his heels, mulling over the words. "Ann, you may not have meant it, but you were right. I knew that banister needed fixing, and I just... kept putting it off, and I just forgot about the damn thing. Then she fell, and all I ever heard from everyone was, 'Don't blame yourself,' 'She wouldn't have wanted you to feel that way' - well, they weren't the ones who had to live with the consequences. I as good as killed her. She'd be here right now if I hadn't been so goddamn lazy."

"Dad, no-"

"I'm just glad someone had the balls to finally say it," Doug cut in, clearing his throat and blinking rapidly. "It'll be hard to accept it, but it'll be better for me to confront it and deal with it, instead of feeling like I need to... I don't know what." There was a brief, uneasy silence as the two of them cast their eyes to Jack's dimly-lit house.

"For what it's worth, I know Mom is proud of how great a dad you are," Ann murmured, cracking a small smile as Doug poked her lightly on the forehead. "What, is there a button up there or something?"

Doug chuckled. "Nah, just making sure _you _remember how proud your mom and I both are of the woman you've become. You make sure you keep that up there in that red head of yours, kiddo." He grunted as Ann tackled him in a ferocious hug, patting her head. "You been playing football or something?"

"Just since I was seven," Ann laughed, turning to look once more at Jack's house. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge of unease in her stomach. "Dad?"

"Yep?"

Her thoughts faltered, and she shook them off. She couldn't bring herself to break the good mood that had settled over them. "...Nothing. Don't worry." She sighed, waving to her father as he left for the inn and promising him she'd be right behind him after grabbing her suitcase. Fighting back her hesitation, Ann swung the door open, strolling in casually. "You done with the giggle fit, Jack?"

No response.

"Jack?" Ann's voice trembled slightly as she rounded the corner to the kitchen, exhaling in a sharp hiss as she saw him laying on the floor by the kitchen table, curled up. Right where he'd been when she left. Heart hammering in her chest, she took a cautious step towards him. "Jack, are you-"

A soft snore drifted through the air, and Ann sank back against the counter in relief. "Okay... okay, good," she whispered to herself, wrapping up the leftovers from the table and shoving them in the fridge. After quietly rinsing the dishes off, she tiptoed into the laundry room to get her suitcase. Smirking, she grabbed Monsieur Boopsie from atop the dryer and placed him in Jack's awkwardly-splayed arms. She snickered when her friend grabbed the bat, pressed it to his tear-stained face, and sighed happily. "Your secret's safe with me, dork."

Nudging him slightly with her foot, and noting with some amusement that he was completely dead to the world, she opened the front door to leave. She paused, looking back over her shoulder. His outburst from earlier was still clear in her mind, and her smile faltered. She shrugged helplessly, and headed back home in the cloudy night.

* * *

_Jack and Popuri twirled in an elegant waltz, laughing happily. Other couples, obscured by the shadows, danced around them. No matter how they turned and stepped, he couldn't quite make out who they were._

_"I'm glad we're spending more time together, Jack!"_

_His face, his throat, his stomach - they all hurt. He couldn't stop laughing. As the tears flowed endlessly from his eyes, his mirthful and hearty bellows mingling with Popuri's tinkling giggles, they spun around and around. He couldn't stop laughing. He couldn't stop crying. He couldn't stop spinning. He began to feel ill._

_"Popuri... Popuri," he wheezed, his lips aching from the smile they were stretched into. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Popuri, let me stop."_

_"You can't stop now!" Popuri squealed. "We've just started! It's so fun!" Her joyful expression faded to disappointment, her bright pink hair billowing and whipping about as they continued spinning. "You don't want to stop, do you?" For a brief moment, her face was Rick's. "You can't stop now. You started it. You're not stopping now, Jack." Popuri's face returned, red eyes brimming with tears. "Nobody likes a quitter, Jack."_

_"Popuri, let me stop," he begged again, his words fading into a sob. He couldn't stop smiling. Why was he still laughing? "I made a mistake."_

_"Yeah, you did..." The figures were blurring into the shadows now. They were spinning so fast. "You made a terrible mistake. Terrible, terrible..." Anguished wails could be heard._

_"I just want my baby..."_

_"Let me stop." His throat felt as thought it would be ripped apart. He couldn't stop crying. He couldn't stop laughing. "Just let me stop. Please, stop it. Let me stop so I can see them."_

_"Terrible, terrible... Jack, you're terrible... you mess up again and again and again... you don't even know what you get yourself into..."_

_"Someday, Millie. Someday." The voice was low and soothing, but he could hear the uncertainty. "When he's ready, someday..."_

_"I want my baby..."_

_A loud scream rent the air. They were spinning so terribly fast. Jack fought to scream as he saw the figures being sucked away into the blackness, shrieks and cries assaulting his ears. He could only laugh and cry and spin, around and around, whirling furiously._

_"Popuri, let me stop. Let me go back, Popuri. Let me stop and go back. Please stop, Popuri."_

_"Don't you ever think before you do things? So terrible, Jack..."_

_He heard his name being screamed, the despair making his heart ache._

_"Why does he hate us, Millie?"_

_"Why did you kill them? They loved you. Why did you kill them? You're so terrible, Jack. You took their lives with you. Such a disgusting boy. Can't you hear yourself killing them?" The words were mercilessly clear over the howling, roaring wind._

_He heard a sickening crunch._

_"Charlie! Oh, God, no... Charlie!" A loud rumbling. A horrible creaking noise that never seemed to end, and a snap. A whimper, suddenly cut short-_

_"STOP IT! PLEASE!"_

Jack's eyes flew open at the sound of his own screaming, the words echoing in the silent house. His breathing was labored, feeling as though his lungs and heart were being shredded and torn. His face was wet. Trembling, he let his eyes dart around - he was laying on his kitchen floor, clutching his stuffed bat closely. The lights were on, but it looked to be the middle of the night outside. A soft flash briefly lit the distant sky, and a low rumble of thunder sounded.

"Ann?" he called weakly, his voice hitching. There was no response. Letting his breathing return to normal, his heart still racing, he sorted through his hazy thoughts. Doug had shown up, and Ann had gone outside to talk with him. Jack was left laughing hysterically on the floor over something - he hadn't been able to stop. Not even when the laughter had completely given way to the tears, his mind too alert from having had no work that day to drain his energy. He'd fallen asleep somehow, eventually. And then, that dream. That horrid dream.

Screwing his eyes shut, he curled into a ball and willed himself to stop shaking so violently. His quiet crying was lost beneath the rolling thunder. He silently vowed to plant the whole field again, on his own, when the first harvest was over. He'd work himself to death if he had to.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **A shorter one than the previous chapters - again, set-up to be done for later events. Hopefully I managed to pull it off effectively without tossing message anvils about. I wanted to touch more on the Popuri thing and how that's going to pan out in the long run, but I felt if I shoehorned it in here too heavily, it would've ruined the flow and feel I was aiming for with this chapter. Well, see you in chapter 9! Feedback is quite welcome.


	9. Willing To Try

Chapter 9: Willing To Try

* * *

After a night of uneasy sleep, Jack awoke the next morning to the most bizarre crowd he'd ever seen assembled - even considering his time in the city. They all were crammed onto his front porch, a colorful grab-bag of emotions and words:

"What the _hell_, Jack!" Rick Aberlen snarled, waving his hands around for emphasis. "First my sister, now Ann? I thought Kai was bad enough!"

"Rick's cranky," Popuri chirped, driving a heel into her brother's foot, causing him to shriek in pain and hop back. "And stupid. I _told_ him Karen told me what she said Sasha said Manna told her-"

"_What_?" Jack croaked, the stream of babble flying well above his head. He couldn't help but feel queasy every time he looked at Popuri, the dream rising to the forefront of his mind once more.

"-But he's just a dummy, so-"

"Uhh, I guess when you're ready to start watering, I'll be over by the river," Cliff cut in from next to Rick. "I think the strawberries, potatoes, and turnips are ready to ship, too, so-" His words slipped into a sharp wail as Rick stumbled backwards and trod onto his foot.

A large, calloused hand managed to stick out between the crowded bodies, and the face of a burly mountain of a man smiled over the tops of their heads. "Hey there, kid!"

Jack gingerly stuck his own hand out, getting clamped into a firm shake that nearly ripped his arm out. "Kid?"

"Whatever. Name's Zack. Duke told me he saw your fields were about ready to harvest, so I'll be taking care of any shipping you'll be doing from here on out!" When Zack grinned, an impossible number of gleaming, white teeth caught the light of the morning sun. "Looks like you've already got your butt in gear, too! I'll bring the forms by later and pick up your shipment! The money should be in tomorrow morning!"

"Ah, right, I need to buy some more seeds soon..."

"You keep your seeds out of my sister!" Rick blustered, wagging a finger in Jack's face, seemingly oblivious to the sound of his own words.

"I'll help you pick strawberries! They're so cute!" The rose-haired girl hummed and clapped her hands. "Hey, I know! I can bake you some pie! Mr. Callahan taught me how, and everybody loves pie! I guess except maybe diabetics?"

"Popuri, I was planning on shipping them-"

"...share some together under the tree by Mother's Lake, maybe on a Sunday? I feed you, you feed me..." She was blushing profusely now, hiding her face coyly behind her thick, curly locks. "Like a fairy tale!"

Jack groaned, slumping against the side of the door and whacking his head against the frame, watching the crowd slowly disperse: Rick with a final glare and a warning born from a grave lack of comprehension skills; Cliff, hobbling across the farm to hand-fish from the river; and Zack, off to do whatever Zack did around town. Jack silently wondered how he could've missed seeing a man the size of a small cottage milling about in the past month.

"Sorry my brother's such a goober," Popuri sighed, fiddling nervously with the hem of her skirt and bowing her head. "He's just upset because it's almost time for Kai to visit. He always gets so irritable!"

Jack nodded, tapping his chin as he made his way off the porch and into the fields to grab his watering can. "I think Ann mentioned something about that once. What's wrong with Kai?"

"I don't even know!" Popuri tugged her hair in exasperation, throwing her hands back and accidentally smacking Cliff in the face as he ran up to join them. The groaning drifter rubbed his nose and glared, but Popuri didn't seem to notice. "Kai's so sweet, and so cool, and... brave! Adventurous! He says he travels a lot, and Rick's all 'Not home much, then?' and then Kai gets so quiet, and Rick just..." She uttered a frustrated growl and flung her hands out again - Cliff was wise enough to duck this time. "Maybe he doesn't like Hawaiians?" she suggested earnestly, looking horrified by the mere thought.

An awkward silence descended over the trio, accented by a stiff breeze rustling the vegetation around them. A crow cawed from atop the chicken coop.

"Yeah, that's absolutely it," Jack deadpanned, as he watered a patch of cabbage. "No question. What a bigot."

"I _know_, right?" Groaning, Popuri squatted down amid the strawberries and batted idly at a few vines. Her expression brightened as she cheerfully began to pluck the plump, ripe fruits and cradle them in one arm. "Hello, little babies!" she sang. "The Harvest Fairy is here!" Observing one of her little babies with a loving smile, she popped it into her mouth and munched away happily.

"Could you not do that, please?"

"Nice catch," Cliff whispered into Jack's ear, smirking. Jack frowned and stepped on his uninjured foot.

"She's helping me work," Jack hissed back. "Isn't Elli still _paying_ you to do that?"

With a start, Cliff smacked himself on the forehead and rushed to get his watering can, while Jack turned to a patch of unripe strawberries and began watering those. Popuri hummed as she stood up, brushing her skirt off with her free hand, and turned to skip back home. "I'm gonna go make some-"

"Drop 'em in the shipping bin," Jack interrupted curtly, missing her frown.

"But, Jack-"

"Look, maybe you can pick some out later, and that's a _maybe_," Jack amended, turning to her, "but just let me decide first. I don't know how much we're gonna be able to harvest today."

"Fiiiiine." Sticking her tongue out at him, Popuri stormed delicately through the patches, dumping the armful of fruit unceremoniously into the shipping bin. Afterward, she stood there, staring quietly at something Jack couldn't quite see - from what little he _could_ tell, it was something by his bedroom window. A faint murmuring soon reached his ears, and a jolt struck him as the khaki-colored safari suit suddenly made itself known in the shadow of his apple tree.

"Soon the queen shall mate. _Apis mellifera _reigns. Thus, their future lives... yes, my precious dear, your young will be beautiful. Rise high, and_conquer_!" A shrill, shrieking cackle pierced the sky, startling a flock of birds from the branches.

Cliff had stopped working as well - he came to a stop beside Popuri and Jack, all of them silently watching the deranged apiologist calm down and mumble more bee-oriented haiku to himself, running a gloved hand along the trunk of the tree with the tender sort of care one usually reserved for a lover's cheek.

"What is he _doing_?"

"Maybe he thinks your tree is really pretty?"

"I, uhh... don't think that's it..." Sighing, Jack steeled his nerves, taking cautious steps toward Louis. The rambling man hadn't turned around yet.

"I can smell it, I can feel it... ah, these beautiful apple blossoms. Basil was right, I say, he was so right indeed!"

As Jack hesitantly approached the rambling researcher, he couldn't help but notice a book stuffed under the man's right arm. The title Erotic Botany was barely visible. There was only one man that Jack could think of who would write such a thing.

When he opened his eyes again, having failed to drive the thought from his head, he saw Louis staring impassively at him from behind his opaque spectacles.

"The colony has arrived and _it will be wonderful,_" the khaki-clad man hissed, his lenses gleaming. "I request permission to study the growth and prosperity of this civilization as it flourishes. The honey shall flow like wine, a veritable Promised Land for the apiologist!" He spread his arms wide, tilting his head back and crying ecstatically, "The truest reward! A holy mecca, to name _me _as its _God!"_

Working his jaw for a few numb, awkward moments, Jack shook his head. The next word popped feebly from his lips: "Buh?"

Louis's face suddenly loomed inches from his own - a blank mask. His bushy mustache ruffled as he breathed heavily from his nostrils. "My boy, have you ever watched bees _fuck_?" In an instant, his tongue trailed up the side of the shuddering farmer's cheek.

He neither flinched nor screamed when Jack's fist busted his pointy nose into a bleeding mess. He merely toppled over backwards, like a wooden cutout.

With Cliff reluctantly dragging the unconscious researcher to the clinic, Jack and Popuri were left to tend to the fields in an awkward silence. Jack suddenly wanted nothing more than to flee to the safety and warmth of the bar and empty out every last bottle of scotch on the shelves - he just wasn't sure whether he meant to drink it all, or cover his body in it and light a match.

"You're pretty strong," Popuri announced suddenly, yanking a turnip from the ground and eyeing it with distaste. She smiled over her shoulder at Jack, watching him roll his eyes and mutter under his breath as he carried an armful of potatoes to the shipping crate. "Did you work out a lot when you were gone?"

_You could say that_, Jack thought sourly. "Sure. Umm, hmm... basketball in high school. Err... swimming." Seeing Popuri's far-off look at the mention of swimming, he hastily added, "Chasing cockroaches around my apartment."

She crashed back down to Earth and gagged. "_Gross!_" She deposited an armful of loathsome turnips for pickup, and sagged against the bin, wiping her forehead. Her thick, curly hair was a cotton-candy tangle now, and her hot pink sundress was liberally smeared with dirt, sweat, and leaves. "Oh, I look like I fell in a mud puddle," she whimpered, tugging at her hair. Her normally-pale skin was tinged a few shades short of her hair. "Mom's gonna kill me!"

Lillia's face flashed in Jack's mind, stern and disapproving. He sighed, still not able to pinpoint what exactly was the matter. "You were a big help, though. Thank you." He reached out his hand - to do what, he wasn't sure - and left it hanging there for a moment, before awkwardly patting her elbow.

Popuri giggled, swatting his hand away and turning to face him. "Oh, it's no trouble, not if it's you..." Her glossed lips pressed against his cheek for a brief moment. She smiled as she spotted the berry-colored print she'd left, tapping it lightly. "I can help tomorrow, if you w-"

"Popuri!" Rick's voice hollered from clear across the field. He was leaning over the edge of the fence surrounding the chicken farm, his eyes cold and disapproving. "For crying out loud, can you finish it up over there? I need you to help me plant the corn!"

"The corn can wait!" Popuri screeched back, watching her brother disappear into the grove of cherry trees behind their house. "Butthead!" Sighing, she turned back to Jack, twirling a frizzy, tangled clump of hair between her fingers. "Rick's so stupi- what are you laughing at?"

Jack snorted, trying desperately to straighten his face. "I'm n-not... la... you look like you have an afro!" he finally cried, doubling over and cracking up.

Popuri scowled and crossed her arms, turning her head to the side, huffing. "I do not!"

"You look like pink broccoli!" Jack screamed, his laughter roaring even louder at Popuri's indignation. This only served to make the girl's crimson eyes brim with tears.

"You're so terrible, Jack!" Popuri wailed, stomping her feet. "You're just terrible, you know that?"

The words stung Jack's ears, and his laughter stopped cold. He felt a tightening sensation in his chest, each breath getting heavier and heavier. "I didn't mean for this to happen," he whispered, his eyes suddenly wide and glassy. He seemed to be looking far away - past Popuri, past the horizon. "I made a mistake."

Popuri cocked her head to the side, taking a concerned step towards him. Her voice was unusually soft. "Jack... are you okay?"

"Huh?" Shaking his head, Jack snapped out of his trance, breathing hard. "Yeah, I'm... fine. Think the heat's getting to me." Standing up straight, he approached Popuri, placing a hand on her bare shoulder and rubbing it, causing her to crack a wry smile. "You know, Popuri... you actually look... kind of cute like that." The words tumbling out surprised him, but he shrugged them off, teasingly flicking the frizzy mess of curls. _Why not? There _could _be something, maybe... and she _does _look cute like that._

Popuri's nose crinkled as she smiled wider. "Really?"

"Yep, really... Broccoli Head." Willing away all thoughts of the dream, Jack leaned in just as Popuri did the same, and pressed his lips to hers, fighting the unease creeping up his spine as he heard her moan softly. His free hand stroked the small of her back, and he took advantage of her blissful sigh to slip his tongue between her lips, Popuri jolting only slightly before melting into the sensation and returning the actions. Her muddy fingers combed gently through his sweaty brown hair, her tongue sweeping nimbly across his. Jack groaned as she sucked on his lower lip, feeling heat rush through his bones and pool pleasantly in his stomach.

They were panting when they parted, Jack's face blazing - he couldn't tell how hard Popuri was blushing through her sunburn, but her eyes were sparkling, and her smile was almost entrancing. He felt a stirring in his stomach - butterflies. Absolutely butterflies. _I wonder if Karen taught her?_he thought idly, his lips tugging upward in amusement at the thought.

A flash of black and brown suddenly caught his eye, and the two turned to see Cliff standing there, looking uncomfortable and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Umm... all done with the watering and harvesting, then?" he called, becoming very interested in the weather vane on the barn.

"Hi, Cliff!" Popuri sang, waving as she disentangled herself from Jack, who shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and rocked back and forth on his heels while looking at the ground. "We finished the harvesting, but I think there's still some watering to be done! But Rick'll kill me if I stay another minute..." She pouted.

"Cliff and I have it," Jack assured her all too quickly, patting her shoulder. "Don't want to make Rick any more upset than he already is, right?"

Popuri looked slightly upset herself, but she gave him a faint smile and nodded, squeezing his hand. "Maybe some other day, then? I'm free this Sunday, if you want some extra help..."

Jack hesitated. _Sure. If it makes her happy... why not? _"I... guess so..."

"And maybe dinner at the lake after we finish?" she continued shyly, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. "I'll cook."

"That... that sounds great," Jack agreed slowly, gently pulling his hand from hers. "And, umm... if you still want to make that pie..."

"Oh, absolutely!" Popuri gushed, flinging her arms around his neck and pulling away with a broad, dazzling grin. "Thank you, you have no idea how badly I wanted to bake it!"

"I can't wait!" Jack leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, allowing himself a small smile as she waved and skipped away, stopping to pick a few strawberries from the bin on the way out. "Yeah. Dinner on Sunday..."

"She sure grew on you fast," Cliff quipped, picking up his discarded watering can and heading to the fish pond to fill it, Jack trailing him. "You even let her give you a tattoo!"

Eyes widening, Jack's hand flew to his cheek, where he could still feel the soft imprint of her berry-colored lip gloss. He rubbed it off and wiped his hand on his shirt, chuckling weakly. "It kinda hits you all at once sometimes."

"Clearly," Cliff muttered, raising his eyebrows.

"And she's kind of funny," Jack added defensively. Rethinking his words, he clarified: "I mean, she makes me laugh." He shrugged helplessly. "What's the big deal, anyway? I mean, _I_ asked _her_ to the festival, right? You saw it."

"It was just weird compared to how you were acting around her this morning, is all." Cliff and Jack had finished watering the fields as they'd spoken, and they sat down by the stable to stretch their tired legs out as the sun sank down below the horizon. "But what do I know? I understand _fish _better than I understand girls_..._"

"Trust me, it takes me a while to realize a _lot_ of things," Jack said wryly, stretching his arms with a shuddering yawn. "Anyone in the village can tell you that."

"Just wanted to make sure you know what you're doing," Cliff sighed. He squinted at the ground as he added, almost unconsciously, "People can really go nuts when they get burned." He was silent after this, eyes trained, unblinking, on the dirt.

"I'm not going to burn her, okay? ...Cliff? Did you hear me?" Jack shook his friend's shoulder, brow knit in concern. Cliff gasped as he was shaken back into reality, eyes widening slightly. "What's the matter?"

"For a moment, there was something... I'm not sure what, though. It's gone." With a disappointed groan, Cliff drew his knees up to his chest and rested his chin. "Damn it..."

Jack rubbed Cliff's back reassuringly. "Just give it time." His eyes darted to the side, where he caught the sun bathing the poultry farm in its deep orange glow. "Give it time."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I love Louis. Sure, I didn't have him unleash bees on the whole of Mineral Town this time, but maybe his army is waiting to be discovered within the trunk of the apple tree. Maybe they watched Jack and Popuri make out. Maybe they're watching _you_. Right now. _Just like me._

Thanks as always for following along, and I'll be seeing you all in chapter ten!


	10. Willing To Wait

**Pre-chapter notes: **A faint whiff of lime later on. Just a heads-up.

Chapter 10: Willing To Wait

* * *

The following morning, as promised, Jack woke early to find the profits of yesterday's harvest by the mail slot on his front door, tucked neatly into an envelope marked "Jack Brennan, Legacy Ranch, 3 Penny Lane, Mineral Town". With a satisfied nod, he counted the notes three times, before accepting the confirmed amount with a small smile.

Zack had stopped by the previous night to pick up the shipment, tapping the corner of the shipment forms with a pen. "I dunno what this place used to be called, but they need a name, so you're gonna have to do this one."

The new name had slipped into his mind with the blink of an eye.

* * *

Sunday morning found a freshly-paid Jack making his way down Penny Lane en route to the Juniper Inn, an exaggerated sort of swagger in his step as the envelope crinkled in his pocket.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little Romeo Brennan," Duke called, grinning slyly as he stepped out to retrieve the morning paper. At Jack's wide-eyed stare, he raised his eyebrows and sipped his coffee. "Manna said she heard you put on quite a show with Popuri the other day!" Duke couldn't help the lewd chuckle that escaped.

"Jesus, how many people were watching?" Jack sputtered, feeling his cheeks burn as he stared awkwardly at the ground. "Is that what you people do for fun nowadays?"

"Nope. We do what you two did." With a wink and a thumbs-up to the groaning farmer, Duke nodded and turned to head back into the winery, making exaggerated kissing noises and laughing heartily.

Feeling slightly violated, Jack ambled numbly past the library, past Elli's house, and past the grocery store - where he spotted Rick and Karen chatting out of the corner of his eye.

"_Whore!"_ Rick yelled, causing Karen to roll her eyes and kick him in the shins. "Ow, _Karen!"_

"Stop being so jealous! It's ridiculous..."

"That trampy little bastard got to poor Ann, and now he's trying to deflower my sister!"

Karen suddenly became extremely interested in the mailbox, her cheeks going pink and her thumbs twiddling. "Ohhhh, no he isn't_._"

"He's right here," a slightly annoyed Jack piped up, waving as he passed them and headed into the inn. He barely registered the sound of Karen laying into Rick once more. Slamming the door behind him with an irritated sigh, he looked up to wave to...

Nobody.

"Dad's out," Ann called from her perch against the second-floor banister. "What's up?"

Jack's eyebrows practically flew into his hairline. "He's out at _this_ hour? It's only seven!"

"I think he's started going to church to talk with Carter ever since... well, you know..." Ann frowned. "I mean, he did yesterday, and he did again today, so... anyway," she added, perking up slightly, "Sasha told me you and Popuri about vacuumed each others' faces off Wednesday. Nice."

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you people?" Jack asked, walking backwards down the upstairs hallway as he spoke to Ann, gesticulating wildly. "What, did you all take pictures too?"

"Kano might have," Ann said thoughtfully. "Also, Gray's ri-" Her unfinished sentenced crashed into a wince as the two boys collided with loud grunts, a small pair of blue earrings clattering to the floor. "Behind you," she finished weakly.

Gray grunted and helped Jack up, quietly waving off the farmer's profuse apologies with a nonchalant shrug and turning to head down the stairs.

"Wait, you forgot something!" Jack scooped up the earrings and darted over to Gray, pressing them into the grateful young man's hand. "Those are pretty nice," he added. "Did you make them?"

"Err, yeah," Gray mumbled, pulling the brim of his hat down low over his flushed face. "S'cuse me." He grunted a quick thanks at Jack as he lurched down the stairs and outside.

Exchanging puzzled glances, Jack and Ann shrugged, the redhead lugging her mop and bucket into one of the vacant rooms while Jack quietly withdrew an envelope with Cliff's name on it, slipped it under the door, and gave three short knocks before hightailing it out of the inn. As an afterthought, he slipped back inside, left a few bills in Ann's tip jar on the front counter, and snuck back out once more.

As he reached Harrison Street, he cocked his head curiously at the sight of Elli and Karen standing in stunned silence, looking off at something in the distance. Elli was in her work outfit, cheeks slightly pink, clutching something to her chest with a baffled look on her face.

"Clinic's the other way," Jack called, snapping the two girls out of their trance as he made his way over to them. "What's up with you guys? You look like Aja just came back or something..." Just as Karen opened her mouth to speak, Jack continued, a big smile on his face, "Wait, _did_ Aja come back? That would be awesome! I mean, okay, maybe after Manna and Duke are done freaking out a-"

Karen clapped a hand over his mouth, scowling as his muffled rambling continued. Their eyes met, and she noticed the smirk he was barely concealing. With a groan, she shook her head. "No-"

"Aww, man," Jack mumbled dejectedly from behind Karen's hand.

"-Something really weird just happened." Suddenly, the feeling of something warm and wet swept across Karen's palm. She screeched and jumped, wildly shaking the hand that had just been over Jack's mouth. He was grinning and waving his tongue about like a snake. "_Damn it_, Jack, that's _gross!_" She smacked him upside the head as he fought to suppress his laughter. "Asshole!"

"Not to mention unhygienic," Elli murmured distantly. She stared down thoughtfully at something in her cupped hands, her mind not entirely processing Jack's presence. A slight frown fell over her face.

Jack's eyes darted from Elli, to Karen, to Elli, to Karen, before settling on Elli's hand. He barely caught a faint glint of blue in the sunlight, and his eyes widened slightly. "Those wouldn't happen to be earrings...?" he said slowly, craning his neck to get a better look as Elli and Karen nodded. "Those wouldn't happen to be earrings that Gray-"

"What in the world is _with_ him?" Karen interrupted, her voice disgusted and frustrated. "Never figured he was the type to play head games with someone. Especially when his own head's always up his butt."

"Maybe he had a change of heart," Elli mused, inspecting the earrings closely. "He's allowed to. Besides, they're gorgeous. Should I really be looking a gift horse in the mouth?"

"When it's the horse's ass..." Karen grumbled darkly, shooting a dirty look in the direction of the smithy.

Jack followed her gaze, feeling equally confused, the Goddess Festival flashing to the forefront of his mind. "Well, hey, this works out pretty well!" he said suddenly, finding his voice horribly cheerful. Waving the odd feeling away, he pulled a startled Elli into a one-armed hug, patting her on the shoulder. "Guess maybe he likes you after all, Elli!"

Elli snapped out of her trance and stared at Jack as though he'd just announced he was a centaur. "Oh, Jack! When did you get here?" Shaking her head, she ducked out from under his arm and took a step back toward the clinic. "I mean... I don't know-" She sighed, a faint smile appearing on her face as she slipped the earrings into the pocket of her apron. "Maybe."

"Well, jewelry is pretty blatant," Jack pressed, ignoring Karen's irritated growl from behind him.

"I suppose I should trust _you_ to know blatant," Elli teased, smirking as the farmer turned a bright shade of red.

"You people need _hobbies_ or something," he sputtered, swiping a hand down his face and groaning.

"Rubbernecking is a hobby," the nurse quipped, tugging playfully on Jack's ear. "Besides, it was just Sasha who saw. And Cliff." Elli suddenly started ticking names off on her fingers. "And Kano, Barley, Carter... I don't think I've ever seen him so flustered before! Oh, and I think Greg too-"

"Gramps is back?" Jack interrupted excitedly, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet at the mention of Greg's name. "When'd he get back? Where is he? I wanna see him! Come to think of it, I haven't seen Gram yet either-"

"She's been looking forward to talking to you," Elli cut in, her eyes following Jack as he continued to bounce excitedly.

"This is the man that a decade has made you," Karen remarked dryly, taking over for Elli. "Greg's staying down on the beach with Won and Zack now. He got back last year-" Her words were whipped away in Jack's wake as he sped off excitedly for the beach, shouting a "Thanks!" and a "See ya!" over his shoulder. "Just like you," Karen mused, cracking a smile at Elli, who smiled back and stuck her tongue out before heading inside the clinic.

Jack jumped over the steps leading down to the beach, his feet making a soft _flump_ as they hit the sand. Spotting a lone, white-haired figure fishing at the end of the dock, he let out a loud cheer and darted off, causing the figure to whip around in confusion.

The tall, thin old black man let out a startled grunt as Jack tackled him excitedly in a tight hug, with a muffled bellow of "Gramps!"

Blinking, Greg Bateson awkwardly patted the visible mop of light brown hair pressed against his chest. "Err, kid, did you need something?" he asked uncertainly.

"A hug!" the muffled voice yelled, squeezing him tighter. "Gramps, it's Jack!"

Eyes widening, Greg broke out into a broad grin as he hugged the boy back, eyes getting slightly misty. "Jerry!"

"Jack!"

"Didn't I say that? Well, look at you! Hey, Ellen told me you were back here! How'd we miss you this whole time, huh? Huh?" He pulled Jack under his arm and gave him a rough noogie. "Been hiding from your old man _and_ your Gram, have you, huh?"

Squirming and laughing, Jack pulled himself out of Greg's grip and straightened his hair, hugging Greg tightly again. "I didn't think I'd see here you again! What brought you back?"

"Mmm, let's see... the inn's cooking? Uhh... the tomato festival... Well, that too... oh, what was it?" Greg looked to the sky, tapping his chin thoughtfully. His expression brightened, and he snapped his fingers as it came to him. "Flounder!"

Jack smiled at the nickname. "You traced him all the way back here?"

Brandishing his fishing pole like a harpoon, Greg grinned and nodded. "Latitude, longitude, season, weather conditions, hours, turn-ons, and turn-offs! Little jokester's been hiding from me, though!" He frowned thoughtfully. "Smart devil, I'll give him that."

"Better hope Cliff doesn't get to him first," Jack teased, grinning as Greg put on his war face.

"Hah! The wash-up? He's good, but I could teach him a thing or two about angling," Greg admonished, waving his fishing pole for emphasis. "Still, he'd make a nice rival, I've gotta say."

"I'll be sure to let him know that." Taking sudden notice of the sun creeping over the top of the distant inn, Jack yelped. "Aww... Gramps, I'm really sorry, but I've gotta get back to the farm now. I've got to take care of some stuff-"

Greg simply grinned at him and raised his fluffy white eyebrows, causing Jack to groan.

"Geez, not that... we've got a tonight, though..."

"I thought that might've been you I saw a couple days ago." Greg chuckled, pulling Jack into another tight hug. "Well, I'm not gonna keep you. You just stop by down here if you ever wanna come visit, okay?"

"Definitely! Tell Gram I'll be by to see her soon!" Jack added, jogging backwards and waving, before turning and heading back to his farm.

* * *

"Sorry," Jack groaned as he darted onto the farm to find Cliff and Popuri already watering the crops, the weeding finished. "I kinda got sidetracked in town-"

"Ahh, don't worry about it," Cliff said, waving Jack off with a slight smile. "There's not as much left now, anyway. We'll probably finish pretty early today."

"Which gives _me_ more time to get our dinner ready!" Popuri trilled, dumping an armload of arugula in the shipping bin and giving Jack a kiss on the cheek. He grinned and took her hand, pressing his lips to her wrist and causing her to giggle before he pulled her into a quick, chaste peck on the lips. Behind them, Cliff mimed retching onto a patch of strawberries.

"If you're gonna puke, do it in the fish pond," Jack instructed, plucking a few strawberries up and nothing with a slight frown that they looked exceptionally small compared to the previous day's batch. Sighing, he tossed them into the bin and turned to start on a patch of radishes that looked slightly more promising.

After Popuri left to help her mother make lunch, Jack and Cliff slumped under the apple tree, considerably less exhausted than they'd usually been in the past few weeks. Wordlessly, Cliff tossed a few bills Jack's way, stretching out his legs and letting out a pleased grunt.

Jack frowned, snatching the money up. "Cliff, you can't-"

Cliff held up a hand to stop him. "Ann's," he said simply, shaking his head. "I kept mine. She said she felt weird taking it. And I know better than to argue with that girl."

"Well, I don't," Jack grumbled, stuffing the money in his pocket and scowling as Cliff headed over to the river to fish up lunch. "She _helped_-"

"Yeah, well, that's just what she enjoys doing," Cliff called over his shoulder, shrugging. "You of all people should understand that, right?"

Jack sulked all through lunch, staring out his living room window at the increasingly-empty fields after Cliff left for the church. He'd planned to go into town to pick up more seeds, but found that he was too annoyed with Ann to risk running into her. After showering and changing for his date with Popuri, he simply sprawled out facedown on his bed, brooding.

A small smile suddenly crept over his lips with the gradual formation of an idea or two, and by the time he marked a bundle of arugula for delivery to the Harmonica Town carpenter, his mood was considerably brighter. He met Popuri at the entrance to his farm and took her free hand, humming cheerfully, and rubbing her palm with his thumb as they made their way up to Mother's Lake.

"Damn, that basket smells good," Jack moaned as Popuri spread the checkered blanket on the ground before them. "Just leave the food in there and I'll eat the whole thing."

Popuri giggled, sitting down next to him and nudging his head with hers. "You'll get a stomachache, silly. And you might explode," she added as an afterthought, shaking her head and frowning. "I don't know, maybe not."

"Guess we'd better not chance it, then," Jack cracked, his mouth watering as Popuri pulled out a covered dish of eggplant Parmesan. "I think I'm about to die of happiness anyway."

Popuri smacked his arm playfully as she handed him a plate. "Not before dessert!"

"Okay, I'll die _after_ dessert, Boss Lady..."

They ate in silence, staring dreamily at the softly-lapping waves of Mother's Lake while the sun descended slowly behind them, and the wind whispered through the surrounding trees. Popuri decided to break the silence, looking at Jack and laughing as he eagerly licked his plate clean. "You're such a pig," she teased, snatching the plate away from him as he made snorting and squealing noises. After their laughter died down, she traced her fingers over his, tilting her head. "Jack..."

"Hmm?"

"What did you..." Popuri hesitated, her mind taking her back to the previous afternoon: Jack's faraway stare, his pained whispers - seemingly out of nowhere. She swallowed her initial question, throwing another one in its place: "So, was it fun living over there? I mean, in Surfport?"

Jack shrugged. "I guess. I mean, it was pretty noisy and bright, and falling asleep was a real pain... but it was kind of fun." He sighed, resting his arms on his knees and staring out at the lake. "Nothing I couldn't have lived without, though."

The faint trace of bitterness in his voice went unnoticed. "But it looks like you kept up on your dancing skills," Popuri said, grinning. If she saw him flinch, she didn't say anything, simply smiling as he turned to her. She missed the brief flash of annoyance on his face before he returned the smile, pulling her in gently.

"Well, I kind of went to a club or two while I was there, but... oh, hey. Look at that, you've got a little sauce here," he suddenly added with a devilish grin, licking a smear of tomato sauce from the side of her chin and tracing his tongue up to meet her parted lips. The deep, long kiss caught her off-guard, but she happily fell into it, her body pressed against Jack's as he fell over backward onto the blanket. His hands rubbed circles across her shoulders, her curly pink hair cascading over her skin and tickling his arms.

Jack gave a start as Popuri's hand ran up under his shirt to tease at a nipple, his back arching as the immensely pleasing touch sent electricity humming down his spine. He pulled away with a noise between a gasp and a moan, scrambling out from under her and looking around furtively - Elli's words from earlier were all too clear in his mind at the moment. "Popuri, umm... right _now? Here?_"

"Jack, is something wrong?" Popuri asked, blinking up at him as he helped her up onto her feet. She frowned. "From the way you were kissing me, I thought maybe you wanted to..."

Jack shook his head, his cheeks burning. "Well... I mean, maybe eventually, but, uhh..." He looked down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck and clearing his throat slightly. "Well... maybe I just... let us get a little too carried away. I mean, this is only our second date and all, and I kind of just think-"

A single finger against his lips stopped him, and when he looked up, Popuri was giving an understanding smile.

"Yeah, I guess it'd be kind of weird if we just... _did it_ where the Kappa and the Harvest Goddess could watch," she giggled. "You're just so cute, it's hard not to-"

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Jack interrupted, tugging his shirt down discreetly over the front of his pants. "I mean, you're... beautiful-" the word came out as a bashful mumble, and Popuri looked thrilled, "but I don't want it to be just _that_..."

Popuri hummed in agreement, taking his hand in both of hers and squeezing it. "Well, it doesn't _have_ to be just that, you know. I'm a patient girl. I can take care of my needs in the meantime. And I really like you, Jack..."

Jack smiled at her and pulled his hand from hers. "Well, I... how about we finish our dinner?" he asked, smoothing the blanket out before settling back down on it and patting the spot next to him.

Grinning, Popuri reached into the basket and pulled out the strawberry pie, laughing as Jack's eyes widened to the size of the moon above.

As they ate, something Popuri said moments ago struck Jack's thoughts down from his orgasmic ascent into strawberry paradise.

"Popuri?"

"Mmm?"

"...Did you say there's a _Kappa_ in the lake?"

* * *

A week later, the dead of night rested comfortably atop Mineral Town like a cozy quilt, crickets and owls working out their own erratic cadence and harmony in the late April air.

A briefly-forgotten wrong would be set right at last. He chided himself for ever letting the incident slip his mind.

_Click._

In the darkness, a figure stirred.

_Click, click._

Grunting, she slid out of her bed, swearing under her breath and grumbling as she shuffled to her bedroom window. Blinking blearily, she let her eyes adjust to the darkness before sliding it open, squinting into the moonlit shadows.

"What the f-"

Her words were cut off as something light whizzed through the air and smacked her in the face, her startled grunt sliding into aggravated mumbling as she made out the words on the envelope now sitting in her hands.

_Take your damn money, Ann!_

Leaning out her window, Ann shook her fist uselessly and vowed revenge upon the silhouetted figure slipping silently back into the shadows of Mineral Town.

She swore she heard him cackling the whole way down Penny Lane.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hormone Conflict Battle! Never ever coming to a theater near you. Ann Vs. Jack: Indian Giver Battle Royale is currently in development Hell.

And a small heads-up to anyone following me along here: I'll be cross-posting my fics to Archive of Our Own (aka AO3) and YourFanFiction from this point on! I've already got a few up at both sites: Same name at AO3; "AccidentallyTheFanfic" at YourFanFiction. I can't bring myself to abbreviate it - looks too much like "Yiff".

Thanks to Seventh Chance for the feedback, and I'll see you all in chapter 11!


	11. Guilty

Chapter 11: Guilty

* * *

When Jack stepped outside the next morning, his bleariness and worry immediately flew out through his saucer-wide eyes as he saw the envelope nailed to his front door.

_Cut that shit out,_ Ann's aggravated, slashing scribbles warned. She'd used a red pen.

Smiling darkly, Jack ripped the envelope from the nail and tapped it against his palm. Cutting his eyes in the direction of the distant inn, he shook his head slowly, and whispered, "_No_."

If she wanted war, war she would get.

* * *

That afternoon, after finishing the increasingly-easier harvesting and watering, Jack headed into town with Cliff. His stomach was rumbling furiously for something that wasn't fish or leftover strawberry pie. "I think it works out perfectly," he piped up as they turned past the supermarket, waving to Sasha as she swept the cobblestones. "I can confront her directly about it!"

"You're both _nuts,_" Cliff muttered, rolling his eyes as they entered the Juniper Inn to greet the faint vestiges of a lunch crowd. Harris waved at Jack from the far wall, though his narrowed eyes remained firmly upon Won. Ann looked up from placing a plate of sandwiches in front of Gray, scowling.

"You dropped something," Jack told her, chucking the envelope casually at her as though it were a ninja star. Ann batted it away with her serving tray, sending it dropping pitifully to the floor.

"I can keep this up as long as you can," she snapped, stepping on Won's hand as he reached slyly for the envelope.

Won shrieked, and emitted a distinctively feline yowl. "_Devil whore!_" he hissed in Mandarin, cradling his injured hand and scuttling back to his table as he sent Ann the sort of look that could unnerve a bull. Ann, however, was no bull. From his spot against the back wall, Harris fought in vain to suppress a triumphant smirk.

"Cliff, you dropped your money," Ann intoned casually, turning and storming back into the kitchen. She missed the realization dawning on Jack's face, followed by an embarrassed grimace.

Cliff, however, quickly caught on when Jack kept insistently pressing the envelope into his hands as they left for the church - the embarrassed farmer had suddenly lost his appetite.

"You already paid me," Cliff reminded him patiently, returning the envelope to Jack for the sixth time. It was quickly passed back to him with a hurried argument. "Jack, it's really nice of you to be so concerned, but-"

"-But since you're essentially my co-worker, it's only right," Jack reasoned once more, in spite of himself. He knew he wasn't winning the argument, and that he was crossing lines he shouldn't be crossing, but he just couldn't help trying nonetheless. Even so, he was silently willing himself to simply shut up, like he'd done with the small part of his mind that had kept repeating Popuri's name.

_The last thing I need is Rick and Lillia thinking I'm trying to buy their approval, _he thought darkly.

The argument was mercifully cut short as they made their way inside, Cliff casually dumping the contents into the collection box by the door and handing the envelope back to Jack.

"Alright, spent my money."

Jack sighed and hung his head shamefully, his cheeks burning. "Cliff, I know I was being a-"

"We're in church," Cliff reminded him with a small smile, clapping Jack on the shoulder. "And don't worry," he added, as Jack opened his mouth once more. "This didn't happen."

The corners of Jack's mouth twisted up wryly. "What didn't happen now?"

"_No hablo inglés_," Cliff responded, shrugging helplessly. He looked so sincere that, after a moment of silence, the two men burst out into muffled laughter as they approached the empty altar. He and Jack plopped down onto the pew right across from the confessional, taking in the sunlit patterns cast by the stained-glass windows.

"You know, this place was practically a little hut when I was a kid," Jack murmured, swinging his legs and eyeing a depiction of a man with flaming, red hair and billowing white robes. The sun appeared to be rising behind him, illuminating a field of golden wheat. "These _definitely_weren't here last time. Wonder how Carter managed to swing this?"

Cliff shrugged, his own eyes wandering to an image of a green-haired woman whose tranquil beauty and selfless kindness seemed to radiate from every bit of colored glass. "Who knows? He's asked about you. Said he's seen you heading to visit your parents a couple times, but didn't want to intrude." He then nodded in the direction of the green-haired woman, adding, "The Harvest Goddess always have green hair?"

Jack craned his neck towards the window in question, nodding as he admired the design. Something about it calmed him. "Always. Why?"

"Nothing..." Cliff shook his head, lower lip jutting out in deep thought. He drummed his feet on the floor. "It's just... it seems weird to me. I mean, it just feels like it should be some other color, you know?" His voice had grown soft and distant, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temple. "Purple... or maybe... mmm, pink? And angel wings..." His eyes suddenly flew open, looking a bit brighter than normal. "Carter might know, right?"

"Might know what, Cliff?" Pastor Carter called, closing the door to his side of the confessional booth behind him. Doug emerged from the other side a moment later, nodding quick, curt greetings to the boys.

"Thanks again for everything," Doug muttered hurriedly, as Carter clapped him on the shoulder and whispered something to him. Nodding, Doug thanked him again, making his way out of the church.

Carter watched Doug depart with a concerned look upon his face. Sighing, he shook his head, and instead turned his gaze upon Cliff and Jack, warm amber eyes brightening. "Welcome home, Jack!"

Jack stepped forward and gave Carter a quick hug, shaking the pastor's hand as he pulled away. "Thanks, Pastor Carter. It's good to see you." He bowed his head, hands clasped in front of him. "I hope you've been well this past... forever," he finished lamely.

Carter chuckled softly. "Oh, you don't need to be so formal. But I have been well, thank you." His concerned gaze returned again, and he patted Jack's shoulder gently. "And you? I hear you've adjusted well to the farm. And to the girls," he added with a roguish wink, causing Jack to turn red and sputter. "_Really_ well." Behind them, Cliff shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Sooooo... yeah... the farm's going great," Jack responded awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Jerking his head in Cliff's direction, he added, "He and Popuri and Ann have been a major help, though. I'd forgotten how huge the fields were over there."

Carter nodded thoughtfully, before snapping his eyes in Cliff's direction. "Oh, and I've been so rude! Please forgive me, Cliff. How are you this afternoon?"

"Well, my ego's doing pretty nicely now," Cliff responded, grinning and waving off Carter's apology. "Actually, I had a few questions to ask you when you were done, too, stuff about regional lore and all that... I think something else might be coming back..."

Nodding firmly, the pastor, smiled. "That's wonderful! Of course, we can step into my study. Jack, we'll be just a moment... you don't mind?"

"It's fine. I've gotta head into town and pick up some more seeds anyway," Jack responded, walking backwards and waving as Carter and Cliff headed for the small study in the back of the church. "I'll stop in later to catch up, though, okay?"

"Let's make a dinner of it," Carter called, earning a nod from Jack just before the door to the study clicked shut.

As he reached the large church doors - looming higher above him than he ever remembered them standing before - Jack paused, hand resting on the brass knob. A thick fog of questions and worries were starting to cloud his thoughts, swallowing up the warmth and peace he'd felt upon entering the building with Cliff. He wasn't quite sure what was nagging at his mind, but he slipped quietly back into the pews, slumping down and propping his feet up. Tapping out a lazy rhythm, he gazed up once more at the designs on the stained glass.

The large, red-haired man stood tall and radiated raw power - something about him seemed judgmental. Disdainful. Maybe even a little contemptuous... Jack blanched, feeling more and more silent, vague accusations crowd his thoughts the longer he looked. Tearing his eyes away from the Harvest King's visage, he instead gazed upon the kind, forgiving Goddess. He had a lot to say, and she had all the time in the world to listen, didn't she?

"I don't know why any of this had to happen," he muttered to her, suddenly feeling the weight of everything that had happened in the past two months. "I mean... I _do_ know... because I'm an idiot. An impulsive and selfish idiot." He sighed, shaking his head. "I've accepted it, though. I can be better than that. I'm really trying. But... I just want things to be okay again. I don't even know..." The words jammed together in a tangled jumble on his tongue, and he fought to spit them out. "_Why_ do I feel like... this? Nothing's going to happen, right? Things_ should_ be okay, so I don't know why I'm so on edge right now... I can make things okay, can't I?" His voice cracked as the last sentence slipped out helplessly.

The sunlight played the gentle green hues across his face, specks of dust seemingly whirling and dancing in response.

Jack bowed his head, clasping his hands together, willing the image to speak to him. "Please help me. I need to know what's wrong."

She remained silent.

Allowing himself a small smile, Jack shared a theory with her: "Those dreams? I'm sure you know about those... Maybe that's all... right? My punishment? Maybe that's all..." He laughed. "I'm getting worked up over nothing! This is stupid..." Slumping down on the pew, he drew his knees up to his chest and laid his arm around them. "We both know I've got no right to whine about this... I brought it on myself."

As he laid his head down, a hand on his shoulder jolted him, and he looked up to see Cliff and Carter staring at him, worry shared between their faces.

"No, I'm fine," Jack said, cutting Carter off as the pastor opened his mouth to speak. "...You... heard it, didn't you?"

Nodding to Carter, Cliff excused himself, patting Jack on the back before making his way to the door. "I didn't hear a thing," he said, earning a grateful smile from Jack. "And Carter... thank you, so much." At the pastor's nod, Cliff added, "I'll go check with Mary right now."

"Did you want me to hear anything?" Carter offered, sitting down next to Jack and turning to face him. "I'll understand if it was for Her ears only."

A brief internal debate broke out, but only for a moment - Jack shook his head. "No, it's fine..." He tilted his head towards the confessional booth, prompting a nod from Carter. As the two men settled in their own respective sides of the booth, Jack mulled over where to start - his one-sided "talk" with the Harvest Goddess had only heightened his anxiety even more, bringing new fears to the surface. He just wasn't sure which ones were even real.

"What troubles you, my child?" Carter's voice called from the other side. Detached from the slightly-chubby, ever-serene blond man, the pastor's voice washed over Jack like a wave of comforting warmth, a cozy aural blanket. The knot in his throat loosened, and he coughed, fidgeting a little less in his chair than before.

"I have so many things..." A pause. Jack could almost picture the man nodding encouragingly, and he let out a small laugh. "I know some of them are probably really stupid..."

"Don't be afraid," Carter responded gently. "Speak from your heart."

"I... don't even know why I feel so troubled," Jack admitted shamefully. "I mean... I kind of know... I have great friends who love me. They're welcoming me back warmly." Sighing, he amended, "Most of them... but I don't blame the ones who... hate me. I deserve it."

Silence.

"But... the farm's doing pretty well so far. I have a sweet, beautiful girlfriend here. And Manna and Duke... they..." The words were difficult to get out - he hated saying it, let alone thinking it, choosing to ignore the feelings of betrayal rather than voice them aloud. "They've been like..."

"Parents," Carter finished for him, his voice soft and thoughtful. "Right?"

Jack nodded listlessly. "I don't deserve that, Carter. I don't deserve any of that. And now I can't help but feel like... I'm... _replacing _them somehow. If it weren't for me, maybe Aja wouldn't have run away and then Duke and Manna wouldn't need another child to look over, and maybe my mom and dad-" He rested his head against the wall, looking up at the dark ceiling. "...I screwed everything up. Aunt Elle and Uncle Kyle... maybe they'd still be here, too. I haven't even asked Elli what happened. I don't think I can. I haven't even seen Gram yet, and she's missed me so much, but I can still go see her, and-" He stopped himself before his ramblings took a turn for the worse.

"Maybe this all happened because I left... and I... I want to make up for what I did, but... how?"

After a moment of silence, Carter finally responded:

"You feel you need to... pay, somehow, for your sins."

"Yes..."

"Yet, you're already punishing yourself far more than you deserve. You've taken on the burden of blame for events beyond your control, as well. But would they have wanted you to suffer?"

Jack's mouth worked wordlessly, before he simply shrugged. "I... I think that's what they want to tell me..."

"And why do you feel this is so?"

The dreams he'd been having rose to the front of his mind once more. "They told me... I was a failure. That they wanted to start over without me. That they thought I hated them. And then I... I heard-"

A crunch, a scream, a creak, a whimper - each sound still played out vividly in his memories.

"-I had these dreams," he clarified. "I... Carter, I heard them dying in that storm. I heard them crying and screaming for me. Asking each other why I hated them... I didn't hate them, Carter, you have to believe me," he finished pitifully. "Please tell them I didn't hate them."

"They know," Carter assured him. "Dreams... are often manifestations of one's thoughts and beliefs. Guilt, hatred, fear - these are things that can distort the truth in horrible ways, but you must always remember that a dream is simply a dream."

Sighing, Jack stamped his feet on the mat before him. "I know that... I've had nightmares about coming back when I was living in the city. You know? I did things there that.. I can't imagine how disappointed they'd be to find out. But these nightmares... these are different. I feel like they're speaking directly into my heart and head, because they can't speak to me any other way... maybe it's just the guilt making me think it's them?" he offered feebly.

"They loved you, and I believe they have forgiven you," Carter agreed. "But forgiveness... it needs to come from inside, as well. For your own sake."

Jack stared at the wall separating him from the pastor. "How?"

"...I don't know, at least not entirely. Time, patience... support..."

Jack could find no more questions, despite the doubts still pressing upon his chest - he couldn't bring himself to voice any more than what he already had. He also had a feeling this wasn't the first time today that Carter had held such a conversation. "Thank you."

"Of course."

Bidding a concerned Carter farewell for the evening, Jack headed back outside, through Rose Square. The walk back to his ranch was weighed down greatly by the questions now sagging off of his shoulders.

* * *

In the weeks following his talk with Carter, Jack found himself thrown into the thick of his spring harvesting, collapsing in an exhausted heap each night. There was rarely much, if any energy at all for him to muddle through his vague, troubled thoughts in the brief moments before he passed into thankfully dreamless slumber.

An early Wednesday evening found him heading home from dinner at the Juniper Inn, turning onto Harrison Street and making his way past the mayor's house.

"Oh, Jack! Perfect timing!" Elli called, emerging from around the side of her own house and setting down a watering can. Waving him over, she smiled warmly.

"What's up?" As he jogged up to her, Jack took notice of a faint gleam of blue in the dying sunlight - two small, expertly-crafted earrings perched upon Elli's lobes. His stomach flipped slightly, and he smiled. "Ohhh, look at you! Showing off, eh?"

"A little," Elli admitted, laughing. "Actually, no, Gram wanted me to ask you if you'd like to come over for dinner next Wednesday night. She's inviting Gramps, too, and Gray-" the blacksmith's name came out as a quick mumble, Elli's cheeks flushing slightly. "And you can invite Popuri, of course, if she can make it."

Popuri. Jack's stomach flipped a little bit at the thought - he hadn't been out with her since the incident by the lake. Pushing the memory aside and vowing to ask her out again the next time he saw her, he plastered on a smile and patted Elli on the shoulder. "Sure thing! Hey, by the way, congratulations!"

Shifting her gaze to the side, Elli shook her head, smiling nonetheless as she gently fiddled with one of her earrings. "Oh, thanks, but - well, I mean, we've only gone out once since then... he's been pretty busy. It was nice, though. We're going out again in a few days," she added with a nervous giggle, "so that'll be nice, too. I hope..." She sighed. "I guess all of Karen's ranting about him is just making me a little... edgy. But he made the first move, and the first date went okay... so he's interested, right?"

"I don't see why not," Jack agreed. "Look, Karen... well, she's Karen, and we love her, but she's... _Karen._"

"Their break-up was really awful," Elli informed him solemnly, looking at the ground. "She was never this bitter before... I just don't want things to end like that for me. Or Gray..."

Jack shook his head. "Well, I have no clue what happened there. Maybe they just clashed? But, hey! You're just starting out!" He tilted Elli's chin up to meet his gaze - which, at his height, still left her looking down slightly. Noticing this, they both grinned goofily.

"Hi," Elli drawled.

"'Sup, girl?"

They both burst into laughter, Elli pushing Jack away. "Is that how they talk over in the city?"

"It's how _I _talked over in the city," Jack answered, shrugging. "...See? C'mon, you guys are gonna hit it off fine. As long as he knows how lucky he is that someone like you is interested in him," he added, causing the nurse to look away with a broad grin, cheeks blazing pink.

"Really?"

Putting on his most earnest expression, Jack, clasped his hands behind his back and kicked at the dirt. "Aww, come on, would I lie to you?"

"...Weeeell..."

"About this?" he added.

Smirking, Elli shook her head. "I suppose I can trust your judgement every now and then."

"Damn right, you can!" Nodding, Jack waved goodbye to her and headed back to his farm, feeling a somewhat odd mixture of pride and happiness swimming among the guilt and doubt that had been brimming under the surface of his skin in recent weeks. Shooing away Elli's doubts and fears had calmed a few of his own, at least for the moment - though he now found himself at a loss to place the new ones that had surfaced, shrugging them off dismissively. Whistling to himself as he headed inside, he kicked off his shoes, skidding into his bedroom on his socks.

Flopping facedown across the top of his bed, he cut his eyes to the clock, and groaned: The supermarket was closed, and he'd forgotten yet again to buy seeds, and spring was winding down quickly as the summer heat crept in ahead of schedule.

"Tomorrow!" he mumbled into the comforter, wrapping himself up like a burrito and falling asleep almost immediately. His breathing evened out, keeping his relentless troubles at bay with each exhale. No nightmares would bother him that night.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Angst! This chapter wound up going in a far different direction from where I originally wanted to take it (namely, I was hoping to introduce Kai and visit Poppy and Mary in the library, but they'll have to wait a bit longer). I can only hope the direction worked nonetheless - dealing with such severe feelings of guilt can be extremely hard, and striking the balance between self-pity and venting is definitely a challenge (as is illustrating the difficulty others may have in offering support without seeming insensitive - Carter's dialogue in particular was tough). Well, learning will help me grow as a writer.

As always, thanks to Seventh Chance for the feedback! I'll see everyone in chapter 12!


	12. Present

Chapter 12: Present

* * *

Tuesday morning, Jack awoke to a problem.

"We've got a problem," Cliff announced sternly, leaning against the railing of Jack's front porch and jerking a thumb in the direction of the fields - the fields that were far emptier than they should have been.

Slumping a bit, Jack stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts and scuffed his slipper on the floor. "Ah... right. That." Shrugging, he gave Cliff a wry smile. "Alright, time to go to the store, I guess?"

Sighing, Cliff shook his head. Beside the barn, an interested shrub rustled and swore. "It's Tuesday. Besides, the shipment of summer seeds is late, and Karen said it's too late in the season now to even think about planting any spring crops. In short, our timing stinks."

Groaning, Jack sat down on the porch and stamped his foot. "Geez. Good thing I'm frugal."

In a flash, a bright yellow cloak flapped loudly in the morning sun, nearly devouring the sly, tiny man nestled within its folds. He seemed to float to a stop before Cliff and Jack, black braid flopping over his shoulder as he sank into a deep bow. "Monetary woes, fine gentlemen of the modern day?"

"Oh, Jesus, not you," Jack moaned, burying his face in his hands. "Look, Harris already warned me about you."

Wagging a finger, Won's slick smile grew wider. "Beggars cannot be choosers. Now, _beg for me!" _With this oily roar, he ripped his coat open, causing Cliff to shield his eyes and emit a disgusted noise. Jack, on the other hand, eyed Won's newly-displayed goods with careful interest.

"...Convince me," the farmer said, rubbing his chin as his gaze fell upon a dangling sack. He pointed, sending the query flying from his fingertip: "What are those?"

"Fine choice, sir!" Behind his gleaming shades, Won's eyes lit up. "You see - are you with me, sir? Ah, yes! These... these are..." He leaned in and whispered loudly, "_Lucky jade fortune spirit pineapples._"

A moment of silence crashed over the three men.

"That is _so incredibly stupid. _I'm out."

As Jack made to get up and head inside, Won lunged forward desperately, grabbing the taller man by the shoulder and yanking him back with a surprising amount of strength - and a loud crash.

"OW!"

"You shall enjoy massive fortunes the likes of which you have never seen before!" Won shrieked passionately, a puzzled and groaning Jack staring back up at him from the porch floor. "These pineapples are your golden fruit diamonds!"

"I think I have a concussion..."

"You can afford many more concussions!" Throwing his hands out, Won sang, "An eternal wave of gold, smart shopper Midas will never die..."

"Unless someone melts him down," Cliff muttered, helping Jack to his feet. The two watched Won continue singing about the impossibly incredible fortune and wealth bestowed upon the would-be pineapple growers. "...What the hell is he doing?"

"I don't know, but I feel... like I need to buy something from him to make him stop," Jack whispered back, eyes wide and terrified. "Okay! Okay!" Holding out a hand, he sighed in relief as the hyperactive con man slowed his routine down to a halt. "Look, my parents used to grow pineapples, and those things take forever to mature. Just chuck me some onion seeds, and we're good."

"Yes, delicious pineapple seeds!"

"Onion."

"Glorious fruit of the southern isl-"

"I will beat you to death with my hoe," Jack snapped. "So help me, I will make you part of the earth, and your remains will fertilize whatever seeds I loot from your corpse."

Won paused to consider this. Muttering a translation to himself in Mandarin, he grunted and withdrew four bags of onion seeds. "And free sample of Pink Cat seeds for generous consumer," he added halfheartedly.

"And a bag of pineapple seeds," Jack finished, his face quickly turning alarmed as Won threw his hands skyward. "No singing!" he added hastily. "Just... just let me buy the seeds, and we'll forget this all happened."

One harried, awkward exchange later, Jack and Cliff were back to work, feeling slightly unclean about the whole ordeal.

"I will never, ever procrastinate, ever again," Jack muttered, watering a freshly-planted patch of Pink Cat seeds and humming a new song. Something about the flowers nagged at the back of his mind, aided and abetted by the distant voice of Cliff caressing his eardrums:

"...loves these things, doesn't she?"

"Who loves it in the what now?" Jack set his watering can down and stretched, groaning. "Sorry, I can't get Won's stupid Midas song out of my head."

"Popuri," Cliff repeated. "Her birthday's coming up in two weeks. I overheard Anna ordering a bouquet of these cat flower things yesterday for the party. Apparently, Popuri's nuts about them." Nodding, he added, "If we stick to it, these should be ready just in time for her birthday."

"Oh, wow! I completely forgot..." Smacking himself on the forehead, Jack groaned and picked up his watering can to start on the pineapple seeds. "Come to think of it, Elli's birthday flew completely past me, too... ah, well, she doesn't seem ticked about it. But if Anna's already beaten us to the punch..."

"Anna punched you?" Popuri chirped from behind Jack, causing him to shriek and drop his watering can. As he spun around wildly to meet her, he stumbled over his feet and landed with a _splop _in the muddy puddle behind him.

"Yo," Jack mumbled weakly.

"Hey, Popuri!" Cliff called, fighting to keep his face straight as the violently pink chicken girl helped Jack up to his feet. "We're already about finished here for the morning!"

Giggling, Popuri pecked Jack on the cheek and squeezed his hand. "Oh, I saw! Barley just wanted to speak with Jack when you boys were done! He's been anxious to see you since he heard you got back, sweetie," she added, giving Jack another quick peck. "But he knows you've been busy."

_Sweetie? _Feeling his face burn, Jack wriggled his mud-caked hand out of Popuri's grasp and stuck it in the pocket of his shorts. "Ah, yeah, I've still got some catching up to do around here," he muttered, clearing his throat. "Should be interesting to see Joanna now, too... what is she now, almost eighteen? Wow. Time flies, doesn't it?" He glanced back at his girlfriend. "Anyway, thanks, err..."

Popuri and Cliff looked at him expectantly.

"...Woman," Jack finished lamely.

Popuri shook her head and smiled wryly, while Cliff made an odd snorting noise that he quickly passed off as a violent cough. "Summer air," he gasped gruffly, waving away Popuri's concerns. "Very humid."

"Well, Jack, I can help Cliff finish up the work, if you want to go see Barley right now," Popuri said brightly, giving Jack's earlobe a playful tug. Behind them, Cliff raised an eyebrow and sighed as Jack sent him a pleading look.

_You owe me, _Cliff mouthed.

Moments later, Jack was strolling gratefully down Taro Way, humming Won's song and sighing to himself as his mind struggled to comprehend his apprehension around Popuri. _It's not like I should be surprised that she's become so affectionate, _he reasoned as he passed Chicken Lil's, missing Rick's thoughtful gaze. _It's not like I don't know her._

_And it's not like I haven't tried to encourage it, _he added, thinking back to their most recent date: Another intense kiss initiated by him; his hand slipping up the back of her shirt, teasing the clasp of her bra; her hand sliding down the small of his back, squeezing; his hand pushing hers away, spouting more mumbled apologies; a rather foreign flash of confusion and exasperation in her eyes. The walk back to the chicken farm had been uncomfortably silent. _...And discourage it,_ he finished, kicking at a pebble and frowning. _Maybe I jumped into this too fast._

The pebble bounced back at him, off his stomach. He flew out of his thoughts, focusing his gaze to see that he was looking down at a young girl of about five or six. Bright-eyed, and with thick, shiny black pigtails, her very familiar face caused Jack to give a start.

"You're it!" the girl yelled, running up to Jack and smacking him in the shin. With a battle cry, she darted into the nearby farmhouse, shouting for him to try and catch her.

"...Um," Jack sputtered, blinking and shaking his head. "...J... Joa- no, that's stupid... but..." Attempting to gather his thoughts, he crept up to the Yodel Ranch's farmhouse and gave a tentative knock on the door. "...Mr. Yodel? ...Joanna? Anyone there?"

"Just a minute!" a croaky, familiar voice called from the other side, making Jack smile. "May, darling, would you go see who's at the door, please?"

"But he'll tag me, Grandpa!"

_Grandpa... then, Joanna... _Jack's eyes widened slightly as the realization hit him.

"Well, we'll just have to beat the tar outta him, then, won't we?" Barley's voice laughed. "Don't worry, pumpkin, I'll make tagging off-limits while we're doing business!"

_Business, eh?_

A pause, during which the girl seemed to consider this offer. With a creak, the door swung open, and Jack saw May smile up at him for a brief moment. In a flash, her expression became stern.

"No tagging!" she ordered, beckoning him inside.

Jack blinked, following the little girl down the vaguely familiar hallway and past the kitchen. "Uh, sure. Did you just call Barley 'Grandpa'?"

In the corner, a bald old man with a long, curly beard eased himself up from his armchair and grabbed his cane, hobbling over to the two with a broad grin. "Jack!" Barley called, grabbing the young farmer's hand and giving it a firm shake. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Or maybe it's the cataracts," he added with a wink and a chuckle. "Good to have you back, son. Excellent, excellent!"

"Err, thanks, Mr. Yodel." Rocking back on his feet, Jack looked around. "How've you and Joanna been?"

Barley's smile hitched and flickered for the briefest of moments, but it was back in a flash. "Oh, I've been great. How about you, huh? Got a good look at that farm of yours a few weeks ago. You're starting up a real beauty! Made good time on it already, I see!"

Glancing away with more than bit of shame, Jack nodded. "Yeah, I guess... just planted some summer seeds this morning, actually. Think I might plant some saplings if I can get hold of that one farm in the Valley, too. Make it kinda scenic, you know..."

Nodding thoughtfully, Barley stroked his beard. "Basil was raving about... the 'grand potential of a vibrant orchard', some sort of rant of that nature, you know. I asked him if he'd been hanging around Kano... Well, sounds like you're really getting it figured out there, eh?" Smiling a bit, he focused his eyes on Jack. "You maybe been thinking about reserving space for a small pasture? You know, grazing room, for when you've got little ones to take care of." He chuckled, coughing a little.

Raising an eyebrow, Jack scratched his head. "I'm not sure I'm ready yet. Besides, kids in a pasture? Seems inhumane, but whatever keeps them out of trouble..."

The old man let out a whoop of laughter. "Ah, you know what I meant, you smart-aleck!" Punching Jack lightly on the shoulder, Barley led them outdoors, into an enclosed grazing area. A few large horses, sheep, and cows mingled on their lunch break, munching happily in the mid-May breeze. A swish of a tail, a contented moo, and a blissful bleat - Jack smiled in spite of himself at the sounds of peaceful ranch life.

"Well, we've got a mare here that I think you'll take a shine to," Barley announced, stopping in front of a stall that housed a strawberry roan-coated horse laying contentedly on a pile of hay. "Courtesy of Stella and Rasputin!"

"R-Rasputin?!"

Barley shrugged. "Thought it had a real kick to it. You passed him out there trimming the lawn with the others." He let out a dry cackle. "Anyway, this little lady here's about five years old now. Looks like she just finished sleeping off her lunch."

"She's pretty cute," Jack said happily, reaching out a hand to stroke the mare's neck. She gave it a curious sniff, and snorted dismissively. "Not a morning horse, eh?" Looking over his shoulder at Barley, he added, "You know, I always wanted one, but Dad refused to get another horse after Percival died..."

Barley nodded and hummed. "Well, can't blame him. They grew up together, you know. Some people just have a harder time letting go." He sighed. "I had to let sweet little Ethel go last summer, matter of fact..."

Shocked, Jack rubbed Barley's back sympathetically. "Oh, man. Sorry to hear that. But Ethel was still pretty young, wasn't she? What happened?"

The old rancher let out a wistful sight. "Yeah, she'll be twelve in August... well, that Kana fellow over in Konohana seems like a good man, so I'm sure she'll be happy with him and Hayate..."

"Ah, I... I see..." Shaking his head, Jack decided to take the reins: "I noticed there aren't as many animals here as you used to raise."

"Mmhmm. Age creeping up on me and all that," Barley agreed, stretching his back. He groaned happily as he heard it pop. "I don't want to give up the business entirely, y'know, not til they toss the last bit of dirt on the coffin. But a man's gotta know his limits! And, well, you did say you've always wanted a horse..." He was looking at Jack hopefully, and reflected the grateful smile he now saw gracing the young man's face. "You've probably always wanted a _free _horse," he added, placing a hand on Jack's arm to stop him from reaching for his wallet.

"Barley, I can't just-"

"Think of it as your housewarming gift - May, no, we don't pick the horse's nose," Barley scolded gently, ushering his granddaughter away from the irritated mare. Jack took the opportunity to discreetly wipe his eyes.

"But I saw a booger!" May insisted, seeming affronted that he didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. "I wanna show it to Stu, I bet it's _loads_ bigger than any of his!"

"Oh, geez, you children... you know, why don't we help Jack name his new horse, eh? What do ya say, squirt?"

Brightening up, May tugged on Jack's shorts. "Name it Applejack!"

An odd shiver ran up Jack's spine.

"She wants to name everything 'Applejack'," Barley muttered to Jack, shooting him a quick grin. "Or 'Pinkie Pie', and I dunno where she gets _that_ one..."

Rubbing his chin, Jack stared up at the ceiling of the stable. "Mmm, Applejack's a nice name, May... but how about... Jane?"

The three of them stared at the horse for a good, long moment after this.

"Jane?" Barley muttered, brow knitting. "That... well... hmm. Jane the Horse... Jane?"

"Maximus!" May chimed in, curling her grandfather's beard carefully around her arm and pulling him slightly downward.

Barley removed May's arm from his beard and smoothed it out. "It's a girl horse, honey. Careful with Grandpa's beard."

"Not a Jane?" Jack sighed. "Okay, how about... Ginevra?"

"Min-nerd-va"? May sounded out, frowning.

Barley's face brightened. "Well, there we go, now! Good old Ginny!"

"Ginevra," Jack whispered reassuringly to the filly, earning him a disinterested snort. "...Okay, I guess 'Ginny' works too."

"We'll have Zack bring her over this evening," Barley announced happily, shaking Jack's hand and stroking Ginny's mane. "Along with some supplies, of course. Hay, grass seeds, some sugar cubes and oats... on the house! Just this once, mind. You know, I think you'll make a pretty fine jockey once you're experienced," he continued, sizing Jack up. "Nice, compact build like yours."

"Ah... right. Sure." After the two men exchanged thanks and hugs, Jack left on his way to prepare his own stable for Ginny's arrival later that evening. Cliff had already left for the inn, and a perfumed note was wedged beside the flag on his mailbox: _See you at Elli's tomorrow night, honey! XOXOXO Poppy_. A rose-red lip gloss print was smudged under her flowery signature.

Shrugging, Jack crammed the note in his pocket and set to work cleaning the stable out. It had hardly seen any use since he and the Harmonica Town carpenters had fixed it up, save for housing the occasional lunch with Cliff and Popuri when a heavy rain caught them on the far side of the field. Taking what he dubbed "The Ann Approach", he set to work vigorously dusting, sweeping, scrubbing, and organizing what little he needed to. Many sneezing fits and a close call with a wasp's nest later, he slumped down onto the stable floor for an impromptu nap.

* * *

_"Kyah, Ginny! Kyah!" Jack clicked his tongue and whistled as Ginny sped across the wide-open, rippling plains. The wind sent his hair blowing about freely, and the topaz sunlight flooded his veins with energy. He was truly alive!_

_"Jack! Jack, wait for me!"_

_"C'mon, girl, let's break the sound barrier!" He felt a bit silly, but couldn't help feeling the sun's vibrancy sparkling within him at that very moment._

_"Honey, come back!"_

_"Jack, where are you going?" another voice called out. "Why won't you come back?"_

_The cries were swallowed by the wind before they could reach Jack's ears. He was only vaguely aware of the sky darkening behind him, the wind howling harder, the clouds swirling and stretching downward. He was chasing the sun, and the voices shouting his name were swept up into the sky-_

"Whoa! Geez... again..." Scowling and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Jack scrambled up clumsily from the stable floor, wiping the drool from his cheek. The stable was much darker now, only painted with dull red streaks of dying sunlight. "Stupid nightmares..."

"Diiiiiid somebody say 'mares'?" a loud, cheerful voice boomed from outside the stable. "One mare, comin' right up! She hails from Yodel Ranch, standing proud at fifteen hands. Step outside, lucky jockey, and meet your brand-new, state-of-the-art, only slightly used strawberry roan-y pony, the lovely Lady Ginny!"

Rubbing his eyes, Jack squinted and stuck his head outside the stable. "...Zack, is that you? Man, how long was I out?" As he turned his head slowly, he came face-to-muzzle with Ginny. "Well, hi, there!"

Ginny nickered, giving Jack's face a lick. Laughing, Jack stroked her neck. "Bit more welcoming now that you're awake, huh?"

"Ain't we all?" Zack was now busy hefting large bales of hay into the stable from a cart he'd dragged along in his other hand. Jack watched in envious awe for a few moments, before leading Ginny inside and darting back out to help Zack.

The burly shipper watched in amusement for a few moments as Jack struggled and grunted, slowly dragging a large bale of hay along the ground. Without so much as a sound, he effortlessly plucked the bale - and Jack - from the ground with one hand, placing them both on his shoulder. "_How_ long you been working this farm again, kid?"

"Put me down!" Jack yelled in alarm, legs kicking uselessly under Zack's massive arm as he dangled from the bale by his fingertips.

"Looks like little... err... Guinevere likes it here already," Zack pointed out, after the stable was finished being set up. Ginny had already wandered back outside the stable, and was now rolling around in the grass.

"Ginevra," Jack corrected, leaning against the stable and observing the playful mare.

"How the hell d'ya get 'Ginny' outta 'Minerva'?" Zack grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I gotta finish picking up today's shipments before tonight's boat leaves, so I'll catch ya later. Enjoy the horse, buddy!" With a sparkling, toothy grin and a beefy-handed wave, Zack headed off into the night with his cart. A small pang struck Jack's heart when he realized he'd had nothing to ship out that evening.

"Well, we're gonna change that, right, Ginny? Not letting that happen again, are we?" With a firm nod in the horse's direction, Jack set out onto his fields, hoe and grass seeds in hand, and determination on his face as he set out to start up a pasture fit for Ginny to graze in.

* * *

The next morning, a pajama-clad Karen stared in silent shock as a muddy, exhausted, and sweaty Jack shambled into the grocer's like the first freshly-risen zombie of the approaching summer. Without a word, he slapped a few bags of tomato and corn seeds down on the counter, plunked his wallet down alongside them, and shuffled back out.

Nonchalantly draining her coffee, Karen counted out the change, crossed her arms, and tapped her foot, counting down under her breath. Jack popped back in two seconds early to grab his wallet and the seeds, depositing them in his rucksack and grunting wordlessly before departing once more.

"...What the hell was that?" Karen asked out loud. The empty room declined to answer.

* * *

"Crush your foes beneath your diamond fist, an impenetrable wall of glorious riches," Jack sang tonelessly as he patted dirt over the newly-planted tomato seeds. "Smart shopper Midas will prosper eternallyyyyyy-ee-eeeeeeeee." His voice cracked. "Ee-eee."

"Uhh... is everything okay here?"

Slowly, Jack turned, his bloodshot gaze finding a stunned Cliff. "Eeee."

_"Gyah! You_ look like crap!" Cliff admonished, grabbing the watering can from Jack's hand and pushing him down into a sitting position. "What, were you up all night taking care of that new pony or something? Horses sleep, you know. You know they sleep, right?"

"Mmm, Ginny's fine, she enjoyed her breakfast. Sometimes, I eat breakfast," Jack rambled sleepily. With a loud, deep yawn, he lay down on his side, finishing with, "Sometimes, I do not. I... farm... mmhmmm..."

A few hours later, Jack was up from his spontaneous dirt nap, having been dragged onto his couch by Cliff. Caffeine was pumping through his veins following two cups of coffee, and there was no work to be done - Cliff had undertaken the brunt of it, leaving only Ginny to Jack's care for the evening. _Horses freak me out, sorry,_ read the note he'd left on the end table. _So did you. Don't let it happen again, okay? Take care of yourself or Elli will kill you._ _See you tomorrow. Thanks for getting that stupid song stuck in my head, jerk._

Scanning the note a few times, the words finally struck his brain and flashed brightly: "Elli! Right, yeah, I've gotta get ready for dinner!" As he hurriedly shucked his clothes off and hopped in the shower, another thought sank into his brain, weighed down by the shampoo: "Damn! I missed that follow-up appointment with Trent! Well... guess it's okay now, though..." Shrugging, he surveyed the wet skin - slightly tanned, no longer peeling, and smelling faintly of the morning's scrubbed-off sunblock. "I'm sure she'll forgive me."

A quick change later, Jack and Popuri were strolling down Penny Lane together. "Evening, kids!" Basil called, handing Mary the key to lock up the library for the night.

"Hey, Mr. Welvin! Hi, Mary!" Popuri called, waving. "Hey, Mary, I wanna show you the story I've been working on! I think your lessons are really helping me out!"

Mary smiled. "Oh, that would be lovely. I look forward to it. And Jack, " she added, nodding towards him. "It would be great if you stopped by sometime, too. You must have so many good stories to tell! We haven't really had a chance to catch up, you know."

"Hey, why not? I'll see you guys later!" After bidding them goodnight, Jack turned to Popuri with newfound interest etched across his face. "I didn't know you liked to write."

"Oh, I've always dreamed of writing this big, romantic, thrilling novel," Popuri responded dreamily, playing with her braid. "Like that Harley Quinn lady writes..." A deep sigh escaped her lips. "They're _gorgeous._"

"Err, you mean the harle- sure. Sure, Harley Quinn is a great writer," Jack agreed hastily, his smile fading as they reached the front door of Elli's house.

Greetings, handshakes, hugs, and pleasantries were exchanged as everyone settled into comfortable small talk and the final preparations for dinner.

"It's so good to finally see you again," Ellen murmured as she hobbled over to Jack, pulling him into a surprisingly strong hug that caught him slightly off-guard.

"Still got it, don't you, Gram?" Jack grunted, smiling and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You know, she arm-wrestled me to see who would set the table," Greg piped up from behind them. He winked as he helped set the plates down, Stu following behind and noisily tossing silverware every which way.

"Stu, careful!" Elli admonished from the kitchen, sending her little brother a wary glare as she balanced a bowl of salad on her head and carried a massive pot roast into the dining room. "You'll scratch up the table!"

"Aww, this table's older than Gramps!" Stu shot back, blowing a raspberry in Elli's direction.

"_Stu!_"

"I didn't know they made tables that old," Ellen chimed in, returning Greg's wink while she helped Elli set the salad down. A moment of silent thanks to the Harvest Goddess followed as they all took their seats, and dinner was underway with a gripping story from Greg.

"-But no matter how hard I steered or how far ahead the waves knocked me away from him, old Mushmouth caught up to me, clamping his great maw down upon me and the boat!" he roared, eyes twinkling, as Elli stifled a laugh with her hand. "Swallowed me whole, he did, like Monstro swallowed Geppetto!"

"But why d'you call him 'Mushmouth'?" Popuri asked, gripping her fork so hard her knuckles were turning white.

"Because he chomps you up into mush! Also, you can't understand a darn word the old coot says." Nodding firmly, Greg continued: "Yes, I spent three whole days inside old Mushmouth's belly, living off the remnants of his previous meals-" At this, Gray looked revolted, "-and sending up smoke signals through the blowhole!"

"How'd you get out?" Stu whispered, eyes shining.

A somber silence fell over the table, and Greg cast his eyes to the ground. "Never did. I died there, in old Mushmouth. Never was heard from again."

Elli ducked under the table, shoulders shaking violently as a fit of shrill giggles erupted from her tightly-pressed lips. Ellen laughed quietly and shook her head. "You die very often, dear. Perhaps Trent should have a look at you."

"But how do you examine a ghost?" Jack cut in, grinning at Greg. All eyes fell on him, and his own gaze darted around. "...What, what'd I say?"

"Well, I bet you've got some stories to tell, too!" Greg told him, glancing over at Gray. "Great storyteller, Jack. Wildest imagination when he was a little sprout! Wonder where that came from?" His eyes twinkled brightly.

Tapping his fork against the edge of his plate, Jack hummed thoughtfully, avoiding looking at anyone else. He had put himself right under the spotlight without even thinking about it, and had no clue how to deflect it. Thinking fast, he mumbled, "I dunno... I can't really top dying in the bowels of a whale. Gray!" he added, nodding to the startled redhead. "You know, you've barely said a word all night! Or ever! What brought you to Mineral Town, anyway? I wasn't here for that."

Suddenly, the room's attention shifted, and Gray shrugged indifferently. "I wanted to learn how to craft jewelry, and my parents suggested I study under my grandpa. Wanted to open up my own store someday, though."

"Ohh, that's so romantic," Popuri breathed, her ruby-red eyes sparkling. "And those earrings you made for Elli are stunning, Gray! You'll be a big hit! Magazines and billboards... ooh, I can just see it already!"

Gray gave a low, pleased chuckle and thanked Popuri, and Elli nodded in agreement while fiddling with one of the blue-and-gold studs.

"I don't understand why Saibara gives you such a hard time... maybe he's jealous?" Popuri continued, waving her fork at Gray for emphasis. "You know, all that kung-fu stuff, the student surpasses the master!"

"HIYAHHH!" Stu screamed suddenly, lunging forward and attempting to karate-chop the roast. Bits of carrot and onion flew everywhere. "You should give him one of those! Right in the kisser! Straight to the moon!"

"Stu, we don't beat the elderly," Elli reprimanded sternly, grabbing a napkin and wiping his hand off. "Or the dinner."

"And what about you, Jack?" Ellen asked kindly, peering over her spectacles at him and taking a sip of her tea. "No need to be shy now, you really must have brought quite a story back with you!"

Gulping, Jack avoided Ellen's eyes. Her kind, warm, brown eyes. Why did they remind him so much of his father's eyes? "Not much to tell. Got my GED, milled around in the city for a while. Lived at a shelter until I could afford a place of my own. Pretty dull."

"An apartment, I guess?" Elli asked. At Jack's nod, she continued: "I hear they're pretty pricey in Surfport!"

"Err, I didn't have a great one... kind of an icky place to talk about at the dinner table," he added with forced heartiness, winking at an unconvinced Elli.

"Well, alright..." Shrugging, she returned to her dinner, sighing down at her plate.

"Guess the city's not all it's cracked up to be," Greg muttered, eyeing Jack suspiciously.

Exchanging shrugs all around, everyone turned back to their meals, wanting to let the elephant lumber out of the room before attempting conversation once more.

The elephant trod on Jack's foot.

"I was a stripper!" he burst out, throwing his utensils down and gripping the edge of the table. Screeches and scrapes sounded all around as everyone dropped their forks and stabbed their plates, distracted by his words.

"Oh," Gray mumbled through a mouthful of potato. He chewed slowly, each bite seeming to turn over the words on his tongue. "Okay. So?"

"What's a stripper?" Stu asked, tugging on Ellen's sleeve.

"Now, dear, we'll tell you later. Jack," she continued, fixing her glance on him, "is that what all the fidgeting was about?"

Sighing, Jack tapped his thumbs on the tabletop nervously. "Y... Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry..."

"You don't have to call me 'ma'am', baby," Ellen reminded him gently. "I'm still your Gram."

"And you're sorry? For what?" Elli blurted out, placing a hand on his shoulder. At his startled look, she pressed on: "Oh, Jack, you really didn't think that we would... mmm..."

"Cast you out?" Greg offered helpfully. At Elli's nod, he shook his head. "Oh, heck, no! That's a molehill, kiddo!"

"Is it one of those people that shows their boobs to everyone they see?" Stu piped up, lifting his shirt and showing his chest to everyone else.

"Stu, put those away," Elli reprimanded, tugging his shirt down. "Save those for when you're married."

The young boy pulled a face. "_Ewwww. _Like _that's _gonna happen."

Popuri decided to toss her hat into the ring: "I think it's kind of adorable, actually!" She gave a tinkling laugh, her expression sly. "You really are a great dancer, and you're so cute! I'll bet you were really popular!"

"I was," Jack mumbled, sinking down so low in his seat that only his wide, mortified eyes and rumpled hair were visible. "My boss called me 'Moneybuns'."

Elli, Popuri, and Greg stifled snorts, and Elli attempted to straighten her face. "Hey. Eheheh- ohh, hey, now. Look at me." She grabbed the back of Jack's sweater and tugged upwards until he was sitting upright in his chair. Their eyes met, and she held her gaze fast. "You did what you had to do, didn't you? You're still the fun Jack who puts a smile on our faces, right?" She looked around the table for support, and got affirming nods in return. Gray shrugged, and Stu lifted his shirt back up and picked at his belly button. "Stu, that's revolting."

"It's my belly button."

"People saw you naked. Get over it. Least you got paid for it," Gray grunted, finishing off his dinner. "That was delicious, Ms. Gerimore."

"Gram," Ellen corrected warmly. Gray nodded, cheeks red, but looking nonetheless pleased.

"You know, I got a pony," Jack piped up, hoping to recover from his outburst.

Through the end of dinner, dessert, and clean-up, Jack still felt his stomach flipping and twisting as he tried to process what he had just laid out in the open. Popuri sat in the living room, discussing jewelry and her writing endeavors with Gray, while Greg and Ellen tucked Stu in for the night. With Greg's wild, fantastical bedtime story fading into a muffled murmur, Jack headed into the kitchen to help Elli with the dishes. Taking a spot beside her, they quietly set to work drying and putting the plates and silverware away.

"I know it didn't help entirely," Elli observed when they were finished, leaning against the counter and eyeing Jack. "But, Jack... it really isn't a big deal."

"No... I mean, it did help, but..." Jack ran a hand through his hair and cast his eyes upward. Elli followed his gaze, her hand settling gently on his. Seeing this, Jack gave her a tight, small smile. "I know it was hard on you, too. I can't even imagine. I... Elli, I'm sorry I never asked-"

"Don't." Elli shook her head. "Really, it's okay. I'm made of stronger stuff than you'd think." Looking away from him, she added quietly, "I'll tell you what happened later, if you want to know. I promise. Tonight... it just seems like a bad time now, you know? I don't want to spoil the good mood."

"Mmm."

Silently, the pair passed by the living room, where Gray was listening intently to a summary of Popuri's work-in-progress, and they headed outside into the warm May evening. Cicadas buzzed and hissed, and an owl hooted softly from the roof of the Juniper Inn.

"Sounds like Hubert's back," Elli mused softly, smiling in the direction of the inn. "You know, Ann says between him and Nora, the local mouse population's plummeted."

"Gauguin not pulling his weight, then?" Jack responded, grinning as he leaned back against the fence surrounding Elli's backyard. His eyes found the brilliant array of stars freckling the sky, and his smile slowly faded. "Huh. Hey, look. I think I see Gemini."

"Lemme see... nope." Elli pointed. "No, that's Perseus. And... _there_... is Gemini. And Cassiopeia - Venus-"

"Do you think that's them?" Jack interrupted, nodding towards a somewhat dim cluster of stars to the west. There were four of them, and Jack would occasionally find himself staring out of his bedroom window late into the evenings, watching them glimmer dully.

Elli squinted, straining her eyes hard for a second, before shaking her head. "Mmmm... nope. Not bright enough to be them. And they were _definitely_ much closer than that." She giggled, though the sound quickly slipped into a somber sigh. "But it did make me think, Jack."

He turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?"

"No, no-" She grabbed his chin and turned his head back to the sky. "Up there."

"Yesh memm," Jack mumbled, squishing his lips together.

Chuckling, Elli released him. "Okay, so you see the stars, right?" At his nod: "What else do you see?"

"Clouds?" At the shake of her head, he rubbed his chin. "Umm, the sky? The moon? ...Err, Venus? Look, I'm not saying the U-word, so don't even go there."

"No, we heard enough about Uranus tonight," Elli cracked. Seeing Jack's glare, she quickly grabbed his arm as he started walking away. "Okay, okay, that was _really_ stupid of me. Sorry," she squeaked meekly.

"Eh, I kinda set myself up for that one," Jack muttered, shooting her a wry grin. "So, what _am_ I looking at?"

Sighing in relief, Elli rubbed his shoulder. "Distance, and time... think of the stars as your past," she explained, upon seeing his puzzled look. "They're so far away. They can't hurt you. You know they're there, but... okay, it needs work, but you know what I'm getting at, right?"

Jack nodded slowly. "Gotta put the past behind you, right?"

"Yes! Just... think of those stars as the parts you want to cut away and cast off," Elli told him, brightening up a bit. "Just toss them into the sky, far away from you. And the parts you want to keep... the things that will always matter... they never truly get that far. And I think they're happy to still be there, right now, in the present. Happy, and... very proud."

By the time she was finished, her hand was pressed against Jack's heart. The two stood there for a moment in silence, amid the shifting shadows, nature the only thing daring to make a sound. Elli felt herself becoming more and more content with each beat of Jack's heart beneath her outspread fingers, and he in turn felt a small drop of warmth where she touched him, growing and branching out through his veins, chasing away his discomfort.

Jack looked down, laid his hand atop Elli's, and smiled up at her. "I think I know what you mean now, Elli." Their fingers laced together, and she looked away from him. "Thank you." He pulled her into a tight hug, the two rocking back and forth gently. "You know, the sun is a star," he added, smirking.

"Shut up," Elli mumbled into his shoulder. "It was a good metaphor."

"It was _kinda_ cheesy. Besides, the sun is a potential death machine!"

"That reminds me," Elli told him, stepping back and giving him a slight scowl. "I should ream you out for missing your follow-up, but Cliff tells me you've been taking better care of yourself since you collapsed. You do look a lot better, too." She hummed and patted his bare hand. "So, I'll let it slide just this once."

Jack shot her a goofy smile. "Wow, and to think, I did it just to piss you off!"

"Oh, I retaliated by putting laxatives in your cobbler," Elli replied breezily.

"Well, crap."

"That was the idea, yes."

The front door swung open, spilling a long rectangle of light out onto the front lawn as Popuri, Gray, and Greg made to leave.

"Thank you so much, Miss Ellen!"

"It was a pleasure, Ms. Ge- err, G... Gram."

"Oh, absolutely, dears. The pleasure was all mine." Ellen waved, but then caught Greg by the shoulder as he made to leave. "By the way, Gregory..."

Gray kissed Elli on the cheek, shook Jack and Popuri's hands, and headed silently back to the inn. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he was humming to himself. Smiling, Elli shook her head. "Well, that's certainly a turnaround."

"Gray's cute when he's lovestruck," Popuri laughed, causing the young nurse to turn pink. Giving a slight bow, she slipped her hand into Jack's. "Well, Elli, we should be getting home... but thank you so much! This was so fun!"

"Anytime, Popuri! You two take care getting home, okay? Good luck with Ginny, Jack!" Waving, Elli slipped back into her house.

As Jack walked Popuri back home in the still summer night, his thoughts began wandering away from the girl holding his hand.

"Elli's so sweet," Popuri murmured wistfully. "I wish I could have a heart as big as hers."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, feeling his lips curve upward. "She really is something. And so are you," he added, as they stopped in front of Popuri's house. "You have a good heart, Popuri. I think you made Gray's night when you complimented those earrings he made, you know?"

"Did I?" Looking pleased, Popuri cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Huh. I guess I did, didn't I? Kind of like when E-" She suddenly cut herself off, averting her eyes slightly to avoid Jack's confused, somewhat guilty stare. "Well, I mean... Jack, you know we still think you're great, right? No matter what happened before..."

Taking her hands in his, Jack leaned in close. "Yeah. Yeah, I do... thank you." He moved in to press his lips to hers, but she turned her head and instead planted a chaste peck on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Jack." Popuri vanished into her darkened house without so much as another word. Baffled, Jack pressed his palm to the cheek Popuri had just kissed, casting a quick glance up to her dark, silent bedroom window. Shaking his head, he pulled his hand back, spotting a faint glimmer of moisture on one of his fingertips.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **And... here I am. Summer's fading into fall, and with the internet out temporarily, I had time to chase away the distractions and really get my butt into gear with this chapter when work wasn't beating me up. This is the longest one yet, and I definitely had a lot of trouble working on the pacing and progression - not to mention, certain storylines I had planned seem to be evolving in different ways than I'd envisioned. There are still bits and pieces that'll probably jump out at me later and beg to be worked on, but this one went through quite a few edits compared to older chapters. Still, I think I'm improving slowly but surely.

Well, thanks to everyone who's followed along thus far, and let's meet back up in chapter 13!


	13. Everybody Knows

Chapter 13: Everybody Knows

* * *

In his eleven years of absence from Mineral Town, Jack had forgotten - and relearned - a few common aspects of small-town life. Chief among these, as he only truly realized in the days following dinner at Elli's, was that it wasn't always just what someone _saw_ that mattered, but sometimes, what they _heard._

More specifically, if you spoke loudly with a window open nearby, somebody was bound to overhear your business. They may have just been passing by on an unrelated matter, hanging nearby in hopes of catching something intriguing, or perhaps they just lived near enough to hear you shouting it, but they would hear it.

This, of course, tended to lead to everybody else inevitably getting in on that business - and not always in the most expected of ways.

When Jack opened his door on Saturday morning, he was greeted by the sight of Duke and Manna - Duke looking thoroughly sleepy and ill-tempered, and Manna nervously wringing her hands.

"Sweetheart," Manna began gently, her dark, guilty gaze darting every which way and her forced calm doing nothing to quell Jack's rising alarm, "there are... umm... _things_ being said around town, and-"

The large, beefy man cut Manna off: "Everyone knows about the stripping thing." He rolled his eyes, and continued: "And no, my w-"

"I swear, I swear, I _swear_ I wasn't the one who said anything!" Manna blurted out, grabbing a startled Jack by the front of his pajama top and shaking him like a magic 8-ball. His teeth clattered together loudly. "I didn't even know until I heard it from Sasha, but she heard it from - oh, does it _matter_?" she lamented, roughly tossing Jack backwards and clapping a hand to her forehead dramatically. "But honestly, while I _may_ speak a bit too freely-" She ignored the incredulous sound Duke made "-I couldn't stand to have you thinking _I _was responsible for _this_ one, Jack, I really couldn't!"

"Sorry," Duke grumbled, shrugging. "She wouldn't shut up until we came down here and set the record straight. Well, enjoy the weekend."

"Thank you for understanding, sweetheart!" Manna hugged Jack tightly, before pulling back and giving a contrite little bow. "By the way, don't you worry about a thing. Duke and I think you're a good boy."

And off they went, leaving Jack staring blankly at his porch, struggling to form a response.

"...Okay."

Then, it hit him:

"..._This_ one?!"

"So people are talking about you again." Cliff grunted and shrugged later that morning, yanking up another thick cluster of weeds that had popped up. "Better you than me. It took me weeks to convince Louis that I probably didn't break off of a coral reef and evolve." He frowned. "He wanted to _dissect_ me."

"I already had my turn," Jack pointed out with a loud huff. "They can find someone else to talk about for a little bit. Like... Kano. Doesn't Kano do anything noteworthy?"

Cliff leaned on the barn door, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Who cares? You've got a washed-up amnesiac and the prodigal son right here, back from a full decade in this mysterious... 'the city'." He nodded resolutely. "And now, saucy adventures. We're gonna be the hot topics at _least _till Kai gets here, if not for a while after that."

"Never paid attention to this shit when _I_ was a kid," Jack griped. "Wonder what they said back then?"

"'You think he'd make a good stripper?'" Cliff guessed, shrugging innocently, and ducking the handful of dirt Jack threw at him. "Hey! You _did_ say you never paid attention!"

Another handful of dirt flew at him, hitting him in the face. Thus, war commenced - physical, violent, dirty, filled with gales of laughter and battle cries that drew in the curiosity of nearby civilians.

"Can I watch?"

Jack looked up from where he was straddling Cliff's back and pushing his face into the dirt. "Hey, Ann. Wanna join?" He waggled his eyebrows, while Cliff mumbled something unintelligible. "Quiet, bitch."

"Fuck you," Cliff snapped through a mouthful of dirt. Jack yanked on his ponytail, pulling the traveler's muddy face up. "OW! Jesus! ...Ann," he added nodding politely.

Ann didn't hide her broad grin. "Busy morning?"

"You could say so..."

"No wonder Poppy's been so glum lately," Ann mused, drumming her fingers on her elbows thoughtfully. "I guess I'd be sad too, if I found Kai humping away at one of the guests."

At this, Jack rolled off of Cliff and helped him up. "I haven't seen her since Wednesday night, now that you mention it... she's upset?"

Ann shrugged. "That's what Karen told me. I didn't get the details. Could be on the rag, for all I know. Oh, get over it!" she added disgustedly, rolling her eyes when the two boys cringed. "Don't be such babies."

"Bad memories," Jack piped up, shuddering. Nonetheless, his curiosity - and worry - had been piqued by Ann's words. "Anyway, you know where she is today, by any chance?"

Another shrug. "Well, she's probably _gonna_ be down at the beach later... Kai's boat gets in tonight." A broad grin slowly formed across her face. "But, yeah, no clue right now. I didn't see her this morning at the hot springs, anyway. Or yesterday morning." Humming, she tapped her chin. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her milling about at all recently! Oh, well! I gotta get back to work, so if you run into her, remind her about Kai, okay?" With little more than a quick wave, Ann spun around and strolled back off to the inn, humming a loud, cheerful, off-key song and skipping every few steps.

"Geez, what's that Kai guy _like_?" Jack muttered, cocking his head. Shaking the thought off, he turned to Cliff. "Hey, since we're about done for the afternoon, you mind if I go hunt down Popuri? I think I might know where she's been hiding out, and I have an errand to run anyway."

"Suit yourself." With a dismissive wave of his hand, Cliff picked up Jack's watering can and dumped the contents over himself, squinting and scrubbing the dirt off of his face and chest. "I'm gonna use your shower, though. Jerk."

"You started it," Jack called over his shoulder, snickering as he made his way into town. His amusement ebbed slightly into apprehension when the large, shadowy tower loomed over him:

_Mineral Town Library & Archives._

Up on the second story, an open window could be seen, and indistinct chatter drifted out - one voice soft, low, and kind; the other, girlish and slightly glum.

Sighing heavily, and not wanting to be spotted by Anna should he linger too long near the adjoining Welvin house, Jack tiptoed into the library, shutting the door quietly behind him. The jangling of the bell above the door drew a grimace from him, and he hurriedly lunged to grab the clapper and silence it as the voices became clearer.

"...Quite descriptive, I have to say. Ariadne's got a very engaging narrative voice, and she feels like someone I would love to get to know. That being said, I think perhaps a first-person perspective would..."

Mary's voice drifted down from the second floor, administering gentle yet firm feedback, Popuri cutting in occasionally to request suggestions or clarification. Hand lingering hesitantly over the banister, Jack hung back, not wanting to intrude on the matter at hand.

Looking around curiously as Mary and Popuri continued to chatter, he spotted a binder laying on the front desk, filled with a large number of pages. Fifty Shades of Trent, the front of the binder declared temptingly, written in Mary's clean yet elegant cursive.

Eying the novel curiously, Jack made to reach for it, but froze when the next snippet of conversation slid down the banister:

"...still haven't said a word of it, dear. You know, they say it helps to talk to a friend." It was Mary, her voice adopting a sisterly tone. "Karen and I are very worried. What happened? Is it your mother?"

Popuri's loud, gloomy sigh followed Mary's words. "No, Mom's okay, for Mom... and it isn't even about Kai, either. Rick's still all, 'Rarrr, I kill Kai,' and stuff, but.."

Her voice dropped to an indistinct murmur, and Jack groaned in frustration, straining his ears while he pressed against a nearby bookshelf. He had a feeling he knew who it was about... perhaps even the why. His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of the why.

"What about him?" Mary asked, her voice suddenly laced with concern. "Aren't things going well?"

_Knew it, _Jack thought smugly.

"This isn't about the, umm... rumors, is it?" Mary added, causing Jack to deflate and scowl. "I'm afraid my mother's gotten a bit intrusive and opinionated on the matter. I hope she hasn't offended either of you."

At the mention of Anna, Jack stuck his tongue out. _Bite me, Mrs. Welvin._

"Not at all, and... I guess things are kinda okay, but... Mary, well, I think he might..."

_Might what? I might _what_? _Jack thought impatiently, raising an eyebrow. _Be a drug lord? A serial killer? Purple? Have _herpes_? What?!_

As if on cue, Popuri's suspicions were laid out in a muffled whisper, prompting Jack to suppress an annoyed moan as Mary hummed thoughtfully.

_"Hmm"? Why the hell is she going "Hmm"?_

"...I think, if it's that serious... you haven't brought it up with him?"

"I don't know _how_!" Popuri wailed. "I'm not good at this stuff!"

"Of course," Mary offered soothingly. Jack couldn't help but picture the patient librarian giving the distressed girl a hug. "Well... have you spoken to Elli about it? I know he was gone for a while, but she knows him better than anyone else in town, after all. I'm sure if anyone would know how to approach the matter with him, it would be her."

Jack felt his ears and stomach tingle at the mention of Elli - something about the nature of that suggestion made him extremely uneasy.

"Elli..." Though still faintly hesitant, Popuri's voice quickly cycled through realization, to pleasure: "Yeah, I bet she'd be able to help! You're brilliant, Mary!"

An uncomfortable chuckle followed that statement. "Oh, err... ahh... thank you? Well, I wish you all the best... Ah, leaving so soon?"

"Mmhmm. I think the sooner I see Elli about it, the better."

"Absolutely - oh, don't forget these, dear."

Rustling and scraping sounds were heard above, and - as if being controlled by an external source - Jack slipped around the corner into a row of bookshelves, tomes on equine care and Occult rituals flanking him. Popuri skipped down the stairs and out of the library with a hurried "Thanks!" to Mary, who padded down quietly behind the pink-and-yellow chicken girl, waving to her before closing the door and turning with a smile.

That smile quickly slipped into a pair of loud gasps when Mary and Jack nearly bumped into each other, Jack dropping the books he'd been carrying. Mary's hand flew to her heart as she struggled to steady her breathing.

"Oh, Jack! I- when- how-" Mary shook her head slowly, taking deep breaths and fixing her crooked glasses before bending to help carry the books to the front desk. "I didn't hear you come in... how long have you been here?"

"Only a few minutes. I just wanted to see if I could check these out-" He nodded to the books whose covers Mary was examining "-It's been so long since I've been around horses, I kind of needed to brush up." He flashed Mary an earnest grin, which she returned uncomfortably as her eyes darted to the book on the top of the stack.

"A History of... of S-Sacrifice_," _Mary read aloud, her voice wavering slightly. She scowled. "Really, Jack, that isn't funny."

"Yeah, it's kind of- wait, a history of _what_?" Peering at the book's cover from the opposite side, Jack flinched, feeling his face burn. "I, uhh... I _thought_ I was browsing the horse books," he mumbled sheepishly.

Laughing softly, Mary set the book aside and began stamping the others in the stack. "It's okay. I really don't know what I was thinking when I re-shelved those two sections next to each other... "

The two lapsed into brief small talk about Ginny while Mary checked out the stack of books, Jack hopping impatiently on the balls of his feet and glancing out the front window - Elli would probably broach the subject with him later, if it really _was_ as urgent as it sounded, but he still wasn't too keen on losing sight of Popuri. He'd never heard her speak so seriously before. After bidding Mary farewell, Jack stepped silently out of the library, stealing furtive glances here and there - Anna usually stepped out around this time to jabber away in the town square with whichever friends were free that day.

Sagging in relief at her absence, he clutched the books tightly to his chest and tiptoed to the junction of Penny Lane and Harrison Street, slipping into the shadows on the side of Elli's house. Harris and Sasha passed by, chattering enthusiastically about something-or-another, and Jack couldn't help but briefly imagine himself knocking them unconscious with chloroform-soaked rags, lest they hinder his mission.

It was then that he decided that Popuri likely thought him to be nuts.

Letting out a disgusted sigh, Jack strolled out casually from the side of Elli's house, back into the blazing May sun. He nodded a polite greeting to a baffled Stu as he passed, only to slam himself back against the wall of the supermarket when he saw Popuri slipping into the clinic a little ways ahead.

Thankful for the tendency of the townsfolk to leave their windows open on hot days, he crept up to the clinic and ducked into a row of bushes - rosebushes, he immediately remembered, biting back the urge to shout words that would cause even Mary to shoot him on sight. Shooing away a nearby bumblebee, he hunched down low in the bushes, scratched and bleeding, and listening to what little he could of the ensuing conversation:

"Oh, Popuri, of course I've got a moment. What's wrong?"

"Well, it's not about me... have you noticed that Jack- oh!" Popuri sounded all too aware of the public nature of the conversation. "Well, it's kind of private..."

"Of course, of course... this way..."

_For fuck's sake, _Jack thought sourly, scowling. Gritting his teeth, he crab-walked sideways through the bushes, letting out low hisses as the thorns scratched him up a bit more with each step. Elli had led Popuri into one of the exam rooms to talk, but at least that window was also open. _If she shuts it, I'll scream._

Elli's skirts were heard bustling as she made her way to the far side of the room. "Would you like the window shut?"

Jack prepared to scream.

"No, thank you. It's a little warm... anyway, I don't think anyone'll hear..."

"Yesss," Jack hissed quietly. He gave a slight start at the sound of fingers tapping on the sill directly above him, but nothing else happened, save for the scraping of two chairs being pulled together.

"So, go ahead. I'm listening. Oh! I'm sorry, would you like some water?"

"Please? ...Thank you. Elli... I know you guys think I don't really notice much-" Elli, to her credit, made a soft noise of protest, and Popuri giggled. "Okay, _some people_ in town think that, and... I guess they're right. But I'm not imagining this!" she added emphatically.

"Imagining what?" Elli's voice was a bit softer now, and Jack could sense a faint tremble in it.

"Jack... well, I guess you weren't there to see it, but - well - one morning, when I was over there with him... I said something to him. I really can't remember, but he... he got really scary, Elli..."

Jack felt his throat constrict. The nightmare. Of course, she couldn't have really known _why_, but...

"Hold on - sorry, do you mind if I jot this down? Just to be safe..." A pause, during which Jack presumed Elli was grabbing a notepad and a pencil. "Sorry about that... how was he acting, then? Popuri? Are you okay?"

Popuri let out a deep breath. "Yeah... he just kind of looked... _through_ me. He started apologizing... it was like - like he was seeing... a ghost? But he snapped back really quickly..."

"Mmm... apologizing to..." Elli's voice had grown faint. "Oh... oh, Jack," she murmured, her voice heavy. "I think I've got some idea..."

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. It certainly wouldn't be hard for anyone to guess what was going on, he supposed. Still, there came a point when he had to man up and solve his own problems for a change... maybe it was for the best that Popuri didn't broach the subject with him directly.

"So do I," Popuri confessed. "Even Rick's worried. I'd ask, but... I'm scared to. I don't think he'd even talk to me about it. I think... I think he's having nightmares."

Jack sat up straight, barely able to avoid whacking his head on the underside of the windowsill. How in the hell did she know _that_? _Does she watch me sleep or something?_

Then again, it wasn't like that would be the nosiest thing anyone in town had ever done, and his most recent nightmare _had_ occurred in his stable.

"It's certainly not unexpected, given what he's gone through," Elli agreed quietly. Her voice hitched for a moment, but she continued: "I'd be more surprised if he _weren't_ having them..."

Something in her tone made Jack want to blow his cover, clamber in through the window, and hug her. Heart racing, he strained his ears to hear out the rest.

"Elli, do you think he'll be... okay?" Popuri's voice broke slightly on the last word.

"I certainly hope so. His friends will certainly try, right?" In contrast, Elli's tone had brightened the slightest bit, gaining a notch of confidence. "Listen, thank you for bringing this up with me. I'll see if I can't... at least get him to open up about it. Maybe he just needs someone to lend an ear. Don't worry, okay, honey?"

Jack grunted and shook his head. He couldn't keep dragging other people into this. No, what _he_ needed was... was... what? He certainly wasn't sure what would do the trick. A year of punishment per sin? Comfort from the other side of the veil? Risk a time paradox and stop his past self from ever leaving? _Or just live with it every day for the rest of my life, _he thought bitterly, swatting away another bee as the two girls wrapped up their conversation. Ducking back into the bushes and swearing quietly as the agitated bee stung him in the wrist, he watched Popuri make her way down to the inn, her expression unreadable.

"So, does that sound okay?" Elli asked from above him.

Jack yelled and jumped up, banging his head on the windowsill and scratching himself even further on the rosebushes. His books thumped loudly to the ground. The bemused nurse was leaning casually out the window, arms folded on the sill. "Christ, Elli! Don't do that!"

Elli shrugged, her smile wry. "Sorry. But you hide really loudly. I've known you were there all along." Humming and tapping her chin thoughtfully, she pursed her lips, and added: "Well, you know, since you're all scratched up and have a possible head injury now, I suppose you might want to... perhaps come inside for a chat?"

Jack rubbed his sore skull and winced. "That's cold, Elli. "

"No-" Elli grabbed Jack by the hands and wrenched him in through the window with a surprising amount of strength, ignoring his startled yell of "First, do no harm! _Do no harm!", _and sitting him down in a chair "-cold would be leaving you out there to be covered in bees and letting Louis study you. Speaking of bees, I suppose I could treat that sting, too."

"Thanks, Florence," Jack muttered dryly, rolling his sore shoulders. "Care to spare a massage?"

"Why, Jack, what would the locals say?" Elli responded, a mock-scandalized look upon her face as she prepared some antiseptic and cotton balls. "Sorry, but Trent says my massages could knot up water."

"I, uh, I'll pass, then."

"Wise man," Elli responded gravely, though a small smirk formed on her lips while she readied the soaked cotton ball. "Okay. Brace yourself, Scratchy."

"Yes, ma'am." Gritting his teeth, Jack let out soft, low hisses as Elli set to work cleaning up his scratches. "You know, what I heard-"

"-If you're about to protest, don't," Elli cut in sharply, cleaning another scratch a bit more harshly than necessary. "Didn't you hear how scared she was?"

"I wasn't protesting," Jack said quietly, though that wasn't entirely true. "...Elli, I... I _have_ been having nightmares... and I know you told me, and Carter told me to let go of my guilt, just work on the present. But it's not like I can snap my fingers and make it happen. I'm _trying,_" he insisted pleadingly. "I didn't want to drag any of you into this. It's not fair to you guys."

Elli gave him another wry smile as she set to work bandaging the larger scratches on Jack's arm. "Small town, Jack. Someone was bound to get involved sooner or later. _It's fine. _Look, it's something I had to work through, too, and I'll tell you right now, I couldn't have done it alone. And I know what can happen if someone tries that..."

_But it was different with you, wasn't it? _Jack worked over his next words carefully, and curiosity won out: "What happened, anyway?"

Elli's eyes went dark for a moment, and her entire frame sagged the faintest bit against the chair she was now sitting in. Sucking in a deep breath, she smoothed out her apron before beginning, her voice shaking: "Well... Mom... she got r-really sick. I never knew cancer could spread so quickly, nobody did. It was... i-it was over so fast. We barely had time to process it, and..."

Clearing her throat, she closed her eyes, her voice steadying: "Dad... I don't know if it ever really sank in until... until... he died, if ever. It wasn't even a month after she passed. He'd catch himself starting to talk to her, starting to call out for her." A sad smile graced her lips, and she shook her head. "He always looked so confused when he realized she wasn't answering. That she wasn't anywhere in the house. Aunt Mi- your mom and dad were completely shut out by him. Gram couldn't even convince him to eat much of anything. Stu and I, we... may as well have been part of the wallpaper."

A bitter, humorless laugh slipped out. "And, so - I wonder if it finally caught up with him. Because this one night, he broke into the clinic and... he... he stole some medication. A lot of it. More than enough-"

Jack immediately pulled Elli into a tight hug, and she sighed gratefully into his shoulder. "I'll be okay, Jack, but thank you." She patted him on the back, pulling away, her usual warm smile on her face once more. "I mean... I'm not going to lie to you. I still... dream about it every now and then, but it's nowhere near as bad anymore. I don't know how much we can help," she continued, laying a gentle hand on his wrist, "but you'll let us try, right?"

Nodding numbly, Jack tried to work out the new knot that had formed in his throat at the news. "Yeah... of course I will, Elli." The words came out hoarse, and he sighed. "I just... I'm not sure how to go about it..."

"I wasn't, either," Elli confessed quietly. "And if it helps any, maybe to talk to an unbiased party...?"

Jack snorted. "Like a shrink? I saw a couple of those when I was in Surfport. Not really my thing."

"This guy helped me out," Elli pressed earnestly. "Trent's older brother, Alex. He's practicing medicine in Flowerbud these days, but he's an excellent therapist, really. He was an amazing help when Gram and I were dealing with what happened." Jack couldn't help but feel like her eyes were boring into his, yet he couldn't bring himself to look away.

"I-I'm not sure," he murmured, feeling a slight shiver run across his spine under her intense gaze. "Is he really that good...?"

"You've _got_ to talk to someone," Elli insisted, her voice stern, yet calm. She paused for a moment, looking as though she were about to add something else - but decided against it. "Really, Jack... I don't want to risk anything. I only wish we'd have gotten Dad to see someone..."

The words stabbed through his heart like icicles as he imagined Kyle, confused and worried, lost in his own denial-

"Would you like me to call and make arrangements for him to come down and see you?"

Feeling defeated, Jack threw his hands up. "Okay, sure. Fine, I guess. But Flowerbud's a long way, I really don't want to put him out."

Elli shook her head, standing up and walking behind him, her fingers suddenly removing his cap and feeling around his scalp. "Oh, he won't be."

Jack strained his eyes to look up as best he could from his position. "Err, Elli.? Not that I mind terribly, but what the hell are you doing?"

"Checking that bump on your head from earlier," she responded briskly. "No way I'm sending you back out there without making sure _that's_ alright."

* * *

Six o'clock came quickly afterward, Jack bidding farewell to Elli after getting the all-clear on the condition of his skull, and reluctantly setting up his first appointment with Dr. Alex Peng. "He's a sweet man," she insisted. "You'll like him, I'm sure. Now, you stay off your skull for a few days."

After a quick shower and dinner, Jack found himself back out about the town in the humid evening, curiously joining the small crowd that had formed on the beach. Karen, Popuri, Ann, Gray, and Cliff were all lingering about, Ann jumping excitedly as she pointed at something in the distance. Jack couldn't help but be reminded of a puppy, vaguely wondering if she and Kai were going to sniff each others' butts upon arrival.

Making his way over to where Cliff stood, slightly apart from the crowd - and returning Popuri's vibrant smile with an uneasy one of his own - Jack watched the distant boat trudge ever-closer to the shore.

"I swear, you'd think the Beatles were coming here," Cliff quipped, rolling his eyes as Karen, Ann, and Popuri started waving enthusiastically. Pascal's boat could be seen more clearly now, a small figure waving back from the deck.

Jack looked around. "Just for a crowd of six? Ah - seven." He spotted Rick, glowering in the shadows of the stairs leading back up into town. Karen followed Jack's gaze, rolled her eyes, and motioned emphatically for Rick to come join them - the surly redhead threw his hands up in response and stormed back up the stairs. Karen uttered a frustrated groan and returned to her conversation with Ann and Popuri, looking decidedly sour. "No, just six again. Must be George."

"I thought it was Ringo?" Cliff responded, straining his eyes to get a clearer view. "Or maybe it's both. There's two people on the deck."

"Guess he's bringing a friend this time," Jack noted, watching as the ship docked. Upon the passengers' departure, he was able to pick out Kai right away: A young Hawaiian man wearing a purple bandana, running up to enthusiastically pick up Ann and twirl her around in the air as they laughed and shared a few quick kisses. He was exceptionally handsome, Jack noted: Tall, lean, with deeply-tanned skin and bright brown eyes. His popularity suddenly made a little more sense, at least on one level.

After exchanging a friendly handshake and some small talk with Gray, and kissing both Karen and Popuri on their hands, Kai made his way over to Jack and Cliff. An inviting, sparkling grin spread across his face.

"You must be the new roomie!" he exclaimed, clapping Cliff on the shoulder. Then, with a nod in Jack's direction and an outstretched hand: "The, uhh... drifter?"

"Roomie _and _drifter," Cliff corrected, raising his hand slightly. "He's the farmer."

Kai nodded, waggling his eyebrows at Jack. "Ah, the lucky bastard who got Poppy! Y'know," he added slyly, giving an exaggerated wink, "I heard you two are getting on pretty well-"

Popuri blushed, and Ann whistled innocently, avoiding Jack's glare.

Rolling his eyes, Jack shook Kai's hand. "Right. Very peachy. Aaaanyway, nice to meet you. Name's Jack."

"Hey, where's your luggage?" Karen cut in, nodding back towards the boat. "You didn't lose it again?"

As if on cue, the second passenger leaped over the side of the deck and off the boat, ignoring the gangplank leading down to the pier. He landed in a catlike crouch, two large suitcases resting on his back. "Gotcha covered, buddy!"

The voice was horribly familiar to Jack. Its owner quickly turned his attentions towards the stunned farmer.

"Heyyy! Long time, no see, man! Yo, brought you another housewarming gift - catch!"

Before he could process what was happening, Jack found himself yelping and fumbling with something prickly, small, and unwieldy. Hissing in pain as he finally got a decent grip on it, he stared blankly at the plump, potted cactus sitting calmly in his hands, fashionably decked out in sunglasses and a flame-patterned bandana.

"I call it 'Sophie'! Cute, huh?"

"What the _fuck?!_" Jack gasped. He looked back up to see the tall, lanky young man grinning at him, moments before he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug and a rough noogie, which caused his sore head to throb. Sophie tumbled from his hands, her spines stabbing deep into the planks of the pier.

"How's Farmer Brown, eh?! You ready for an _EXTREEEEEME SUMMER?!"_

Jack suddenly found himself much more grateful for his impending therapy session.

Luke Potter was back in town.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Choosing a title for this chapter was a bitch and a half. And now... Luke and Kai all in one summer? Can one place withstand so much Luke in a mere year? Will Mineral Town survive?! Probably. Will Jack survive? Depends on how well he can learn to cope...

Well, big thanks to the all-powerful Jersey S and the lovely lavendercookie for their feedback, and to those who have read, reviewed, and/or followed or favorited thus far! I hope this is coming along well to you - I'll see you in chapter 14!


	14. I'll Figure It Out

Chapter 14: I'll Figure It Out

* * *

Kai and Luke settled easily Mineral Town within their first week back, summer trailing lazily behind them as a warm, windy May crept into a vibrant June. The more humid days of the little seaside burg found windows open and music drifting from each household, along with tantalizing aromas. Occasionally, squabbles could be overheard as well - or, in the case of Sasha and Jeff Clark, more intimate, inappropriate utterances, set to smooth jazz and a woman's husky alto. This was quickly stopped when a flustered Harris pointed out that Stu could hear them when he played outside.

The night before Trent's brother was due to arrive in town, Jack found himself holed up in his house with little else to do but study, laying on his stomach in bed. A copy of Hot to Trot: The Extensive Equipedia lay spread open in front of him, his sock-clad feet bobbing in the air in time to the radio.

"Well, I'm peepin' and I'm creepin', and I'm creep-in'!" he sang along, flipping the page and drumming his fingers. "But I damn near got caught cause my beeper kept beepin', now it's time for me to-"

A loud pounding at the front door caused him to shriek and roll off his bed, nearly drowning out the voice bellowing over the music: "Yo, Jack! Wakey-wakey, man!"

Kai, from the sound of it. In only their second interaction, Jack suddenly wanted little more than to break the traveler's legs.

Switching off the radio in mid-verse and grumbling, Jack hobbled over to the door and wrenched it open, rubbing his bruised thigh. Kai stood there in swim trunks and flip flops, grinning, and holding a volleyball against one hip. The other hand clutched a case of beer.

"Hey there, neighbor!" he said brightly, dark eyes sparkling. He nodded to the ball resting on his hip, ignoring Jack's cock-eyed glare. "We're having a little get-together down at the beach right now. You wanna join?" The beer was hoisted and wiggled invitingly in Jack's face, bottles clanking loudly.

Shifting his weight to his uninjured leg, Jack shrugged. "I dunno... trying to take out the competition before the game even starts?" He shook his head and smiled in spite of himself. "Only if I get to throw my cactus at your team."

Kai laughed, nodding in the direction of the beach. "Who said I didn't want you on _my _team? C'mon, walk with me."

Humming and crossing his arms, Jack thought over the offer for a moment. He'd already memorized most of the book he'd been reading, and after a recent, awkward date with Popuri, socializing with someone else didn't sound too bad at the moment. "I gotta get changed first - you guys want me to bring anything?"

"Nah, I'll give the newbies a break. Luke's coming too."

The two shortly set off down Taro Way, the warmly-lit windows of Chicken Lil's bobbing ahead in the light of the balmy, breezy sunset. As if the thought had suddenly occurred to him, Kai turned to Jack, beginning to count off names: "By the way, we've got a decent crowd going now. You, me, Luke, Karen, Ann, Gray, Cliff... even Rick's coming along."

Jack's eyebrows flew into his hairline at this news. "Sorry, but... I've heard _things_ about how you two get along..."

Kai shot him a slick grin. "Yeah, he hates my guts," he admitted casually. "But every year, he tells Poppy and Karen he'll tolerate me for their sake. Then I whoop him at Opening Day and it's all over!"

Skipping over the question of Popuri's absence, Jack decided to take the other available subject at hand: "Why do you guys hate each other, anyway?"

"Whoa, never said _I_ hated _him_," Kai said defensively, throwing his hands up. "The little twerp's good to his mom and all. I just don't think he cares for how much freedom I've got."

"Ann said you travel a lot..." Jack muttered thoughtfully, shrugging. He waved to Mayor Thomas and Kano as they passed through Rose Square, turning towards the beach. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Damn straight," Kai agreed firmly, nodding and winking at Jack. "See, Brennan? You get it! Hey, Ginger! We're here!" he bellowed towards Ann, jumping the steps and landing loudly in the sand. Jack gingerly toddled down after, favoring his bruised thigh.

"Great! We've been ready to start the game forever now - hey, Jack!" Ann added, waving him over cheerfully from next to a crackling bonfire. Cliff sat by it, staring thoughtfully at the flames as he roasted a few hot dogs on a skewer. Looking up, he smiled and acknowledged the pair with a polite nod, before returning to his pensive weenie roast.

"I think Cliff's trying to firebend or something," Ann whispered loudly to Jack, rolling her eyes. Cliff didn't seem to hear her. "He's been doing that ever since we set up."

"Maybe he's predicting the _future!_" Luke suggested, golden eyes wide and mad in the bloody light of the setting sun. He bounced in place, stretching his legs and arms rapidly. "Maybe he knows who's gonna win the game!"

"You guys ready, then?" Karen called from the far side of the beach. A volleyball net had been set up, with boundaries drawn in the sand. Rick hung reluctantly behind his bikini-clad friend. "C'mon, let's pick teams already!"

"Karen's team!" Kai called immediately, rushing over to high-five her. Rick shot him a nasty glare, but stuck his hand out nonetheless for a firm shake.

"Rick's team!" Ann called immediately afterward, flashing a devilish grin at Kai as a pleased-looking Rick joined her on the other side. "Ready to get your balls busted, babe?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Kai called back with a smug smile, as Luke - pulling a puzzled-looking Cliff along - joined him and Karen.

"But I didn't even eat my hot dogs..."

Jack joined Ann, Gray, and Rick, getting - much to his shock - a friendly thumbs-up from the latter, and the game was underway. It was quickly established among the group that Ann's taunts hadn't been merely flirtatious - she blocked and spiked viciously, letting out unholy grunts with every turn she took, catching the other team off-guard on a near-constant basis.

Unfortunately for her, Luke turned out to be almost as skilled, darting all over his side of the court like a gnat on speed. His loud cheer echoed off the rocky walls of the beach when he managed to finally score a point against Ann's team.

"Now _there's_ a... a man who knows... his volleyball," Ann panted, nodding respectfully at Luke. "Kai... you gonna let him... let him impress me like that?"

Kai stuck his tongue out at her playfully, twirling the ball on one finger. "But nobody can be half the man _you_ are, _punnnkeeeen_," he called in a syrupy voice, tossing the ball to Karen.

"You two wanna duck in the Snack Shack for a quickie while I even the score?" Karen snapped, tossing her braid over her shoulder and preparing to serve.

It was Rick's turn to scoff, cocking his head to the side. "Are you saying Jack, Gray, and I are hopeless against you?"

"I'm _saying_ I haven't seen any proof to the contrary yet," Karen retorted sweetly. "But if you want to try blocking this..." With a loud grunt, she lunged forward and punched the ball over the net- "Shit!"

"Wh- JESUS, KAREN!"

As Karen quickly retied her bikini top into a double knot, and Kai doubled over with laughter, Ann's team (along with a very red Cliff) rushed forward to help disentangle Rick from the collapsed net. The volleyball rolled lazily out of bounds behind them - a point for Karen's team.

"Yeah, yeah. Ooh, I've got nipples, what a riot," Karen muttered, watching Kai giggle weakly, arms around an oblivious Luke for support.

"Score for the Blue Team!" the carpenter bellowed, pumping his fist in the air. "Whoo!"

The game fell apart quickly afterward, nobody daring to repeat - or top - Karen's strategic victory, or challenge Ann and Luke's point-hogging. After most of the group had moved back to re-start the bonfire, Karen motioned for Jack to come over by the net, looking apprehensive.

"You're not going to show your boobs again, are you?" Jack asked warily, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the blonde's face.

She rolled her eyes. "Pff. You wish, Brennan. Actually, I was going to do this..."

Without warning, she smacked him upside the head, prompting him to yelp and cringe. "Damn it, I was kidding! Stop being so violent!" he snapped, rubbing his head. "What was that all about?!"

"_You_ being a boob," she hissed darkly, pulling him closer to the corner of the stairs. "And an ass, and a - look, point _is_, you're screwing with Poppy!" Her green eyes flashed dangerously on that last sentence, Jack's heart hammering madly in his chest. She looked bloodthirsty.

Tugging his wrist futilely against Karen's iron grip, Jack shook his head. "That could mean a lot of things-"

"Messing with her head," Karen interrupted venomously. Her voice was still a fierce, terrifying whisper. "Look, she has no idea what you even really _think_ of her! You asked her out, you keep acting like you want things one way one minute, another way the next without even telling her - it's stressing her out! If you wanna let her go, just _do it _already! She can take it! But if you're gonna be dating one of my best friends - even if _you're_ one of my best friends - _get your shit together _and stop treating her like a fucking social experiment! Understand?!"

Jack let his now-freed arm drop listlessly to his side, blinking helplessly at Karen. "I don't know what to do about all this," he admitted after a few moments of tense silence.

Karen crossed her arms, eyes shooting daggers. "Well, then, _figure it out._ She isn't a _toy_."

"I know that!" Jack snapped, shoving his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks. He kicked the edge of his sandal in the sand, tracing out his name as they spoke, and sweeping it back out. "I just... well, I asked her out because she seemed so into me. But I think I got in over my head, Karen. She's sweet, she really is, but I don't know if we're - I don't wanna be unfair to her..."

"But you _are_," Karen pressed, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Look, okay, you're trying to figure things out. That's great. I feel for you, and all that fun stuff, I really do. Swear. But she wasn't prepared for this, and she doesn't _deserve_ to be screwed around with. Even if you don't mean to..." Her voice took on a sympathetic tone at the last few words, and she shook her head ruefully. "Maybe you should talk this out with her when you see her next. Just promise me you'll stop doing this to her. And yourself," she added thoughtfully, after a brief pause. "I don't exactly like being pissed at my friends, you know."

Worries, emotions, confessions, questions - all of these wanted to spill out of Jack, but he pressed his lips together firmly, nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right... look, I've got an appointment with a therapist tomorrow afternoon. Maybe he'll help me figure this out?"

Karen shrugged, worry playing across her delicate features. "I guess so..."

They stayed quiet after that, listening to the waves brushing against the shore, and the laughter and loud conversation from over by the bonfire. None of it did much to pierce their thoughts.

"Yo, guys!" Luke shouted from across the beach, startling the two out of their troubled silence. "You ready for _extreme marshmallow toasting?!_"

"Sounds awesome, Luke!" Karen called, her enthusiasm popping back up instantly as she ran over to the fire. "Hey, Ann! You brought stuff for S'mores, right?"

As Jack snapped out of his thoughts and turned to trudge after Karen, an unexpected interruption popped up to block his way.

"What were you guys talking about?" Rick asked, pure curiosity playing out over his face.

After searching his neighbor's expression carefully and finding no trace of suspicion, Jack let his shoulders slump. "Erm... well - okay, we were... talking about Popuri," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and bracing himself for the fireworks.

A quiet "oh" drifted between them instead. Rick led them back over to the corner by the stairs, leaning up against the rocky wall of Rose Square, a concerned frown suddenly etched on his face. "About _you_ and Poppy?" At Jack's hesitant nod, he sighed. "Yeah. Thought so... she's been pretty glum lately, you know. She didn't even want to come down here with us." He shook his head and frowned. "I mean, she _said_ she was busy working on her novel, but..."

"Rick, I'm sor-"

Rick held up a hand to stop him. "Uhh, well, this is gonna sound weird..." He giggled nervously, adjusting his glasses. "But I'm not really upset with you. I mean - no, wait, I kinda am. My sister's upset because of you!" He shook his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "...But it's not your fault, right?"

Puzzled, Jack tilted his head. "Umm... how is this _not_ my fault?"

The chicken farmer craned his neck to look over in the direction of the bonfire, making sure nobody could overhear. Dropping his voice, he leaned in towards Jack and whispered, "Well, errr... Poppy says you've been acting kind of weird lately."

Feeling his face grow hot, Jack gulped. "Is she talking about the, umm, the-" He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes cast skyward. "Oh, boy."

"What?" Rick scowled, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "I _mean_, the freaking out. She told me you get... strange sometimes. Really upset and distant. Well, I guess that's understandable, though," he mumbled, more to himself than Jack, but then shrugged it off. "And we heard you... having a nightmare, I guess, in your stable that one night," he added sheepishly, suddenly looking ashamed. "We weren't snooping or anything! Just on our way back from the library. I mean, we were going to check when we heard you, but Popuri thought it'd be like waking a sleepwalker. Heh."

Jack sighed. The last thing he needed - dragging _everyone else_ into his problems. "Look, Rick, thanks for your concern. But I'm getting it taken care of. Popuri and Elli are way ahead of you there."

Looking quite relieved, Rick's shoulders slumped. "Really? Well, that's good..." He crossed his arms, shifting uncomfortably. "Umm... I'm really bad at this, but-" Shrugging, he stuck his hand out, nodding at it. "Can we start over, Jack? I haven't exactly been fair to you..."

Smiling wryly, Jack gave Rick's hand a firm shake. "I understand, though. But... yeah. We can start over, sure."

Smiling back, Rick clapped Jack on the shoulder and walked back over to the fire, sitting next to Ann and grabbing a toasting stick and a marshamllow. As Jack began to follow, however, Karen came up to him, idly swinging a half-empty bottle of beer by her side. The farmer rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Yes?" he asked warily, peering over Karen's shoulder at the others, who were chatting happily - save for Gray, who was simply propped up on his elbows, gazing up at the sky.

"What were you and Rick chatting about?" Karen asked, taking a swig from her bottle and raising an eyebrow. "Seemed pretty amicable."

"Oh, we were talking about how Jack wants to join the others at the damn fire already and get something to eat," Jack responded irately, walking around Karen.

The blonde girl huffed loudly behind him, bopping him lightly on the back with her bottle. "Fine, Mr. Bitchy Boo. Just asking."

"Well, he wants to be friends now, so we're friends now." Nodding firmly, he waved at the others as he approached, grabbing a hot dog and sitting down between Kai and Cliff. Karen knocked lightly on his head as she passed, joining Rick on the other side and shooting a pleased grin at the chicken farmer.

The night ebbed on pleasantly after that, the waves shushing gently under the loud, excited chattering and off-key campfire songs, though Gray kept quiet throughout the entire ordeal. Kai began telling a story about his most recent travels - which had taken him to Thailand - but kept getting interrupted by the very excited, very drunk, Luke and Karen.

"Did you meet Sagat?!" Luke asked, eyes shining in the firelight. He leapt to his feet, fist in the air. "Tiger Uppercut!" With a yell, he jumped and spun around, losing his balance and faceplanting into the sand.

Silence fell over the group for a few seconds before Gray spoke his first words of the evening:

"I think we should call it a night."

Hasty agreements were murmured, everyone splitting up to go their separate ways: Ann, Cliff, and Gray assembled to drag Luke - and the half-empty case of beer - back to the inn, while Rick tried to coax Karen into walking back to the supermarket with him.

"Ain't no damn ocean at the store," Karen mumbled sulkily, poking Rick on the nose with an empty beer bottle. "...Beeeeeeeep..."

"Yeah, yeah, beep-beep," Rick grumbled, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, you're more sloshed than the water right now."

"So's your face, ya big ol' douchecanoe," Karen muttered, nonetheless trudging along with him up the stairs. "My boobs're in, right? Let's do this, cabbie."

Possibly by mere circumstance, Jack found himself making his way back to the Legacy Ranch with Kai tagging along, the traveler still swishing a half-emptied bottle of beer idly between his fingers.

"Not to sound rude, but the inn's thataway," Jack called over his shoulder, motioning with his thumb.

Kai chuckled, taking a swig of his beer. "Oh, I know. Just wanted to chat with ya some more. Annie's got the whole Luke thing under control, anyway."

"Ah. I wasn't sure if you were drunk, too." Slowing his pace somewhat, he allowed Kai to fall into step beside him, the two passing by the Yodel Ranch. "So, what's up?"

"Nothin' much," Kai admitted, twirling the now-empty bottle between his fingers rapidly. "I just like getting to know the new people, s'all. Well, Annie tells me you're not _new_ new, but you're new to me." He nodded at his own statement, before pressing on:. "You're from here, then?"

Jack nodded as well, jamming his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks. "Well... I grew up here, yeah." They turned left, bypassing Chicken Lil's and taking the trail that wound through the nearby forest, past Gotz's cabin. "Least, till I was thirteen..."

"Yeah?" Kai's dark, sparkling eyes flicked over to glance at Jack - the farmer was staring down at the ground. "You move?"

"Ran away." The reply was curt - and, moreover, bitter. "Just came back a few months ago, actually..."

Now it was Kai's turn to gaze at the ground, the pair slowing to a halt beside a pine tree. Raising his eyebrows, not sure if he should ask the question or not, he cautiously proceeded: "So... what'd your parents say when you came back...?"

"Nothing." Jack scuffed the back of his sandal against the trunk of the tree. "Died five years ago, both of them. Tornado brought the house down on them." He was slightly surprised at how easily he was relaying this to a complete stranger. "So... I'm running their farm now." He scoffed, not seeing Kai's jaw drop.

"I used to help them out all the time when I was a kid, actually." His gaze found the sky now, and he squinted at the bright crescent moon high above them. "I'd help Mom with the big harvests, make medicine runs when a cow got sick or something, Dad taught me how to shear a sheep... I just never thought it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life." His voice grew a bit harder as he kicked at a stray toadstool growing nearby. "But now, I don't even know."

_Dragging another one in, then? _a small voice in his head chided. _Thought you were against that._

Jack's shoulders slumped with his defeated-sounding sigh. "...Shit. Look, sorry. I'm being kind of a downer - I didn't mean-"

"Hey, whoa, slow down!" Kai put his hands up to stop Jack, patting him on the shoulder. "I mean, okay, bit heavy and all, sure. Specially after being on a boat with Luke for two days. But it feels nice to let it out, though, right?"

"I let it out more often than I let out my horse," Jack mumbled, causing Kai to suppress a wry smirk. "That's the problem."

The traveler shrugged. "If you say so. Better out than in, though, right?"

"I guess... can we talk about something else?" Jack shot Kai a sideways glance. "What about you? All I know is you're Ann's boyfriend from Hawaii, and Rick doesn't like you."

Looking somewhat taken aback, Kai faltered. "Well... yeah, that's about it," he said slowly. "I mean, I travel a lot, like you heard. Kind of a wanderer... and I run the Snack Shack on the beach," he added, sounding a bit more confident. "Not to plug shamelessly or anything, but Annie doesn't want me visiting in spring because of the cooking contest! Thinks I'll threaten the inn's winning streak."

Jack snorted. "Seriously? You're that good? She told you this herself?"

"Her pop did," Kai corrected, grinning devilishly.

The farmer raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Doug? Douglas Meredith Callahan?"

"...Maybe I gleaned it... from a little bit of bullshit... that I spouted," Kai finally admitted sheepishly, still smiling nonetheless as the two started back up and made their way to Jack's farm, passing by the hot spring and the chicken coop. "Hey, you travel as much as I do, you gotta learn to cook for yourself sometimes!"

"Your family doesn't travel with you?" Jack blurted out, taking a few more steps past the fish pond before noticing Kai had come to a complete stop behind him. He sighed, walking backwards to rejoin his new friend. "Hit a nerve?" he asked, the words tumbling out after a moment's hesitation.

Kai shrugged it off. "Nah. They're kinda... dull. Homebodies. Nah," he repeated, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Just reminded me, I haven't... I haven't contacted them in a while. Guess I'll go start a letter to them or something..."

Keeping his doubts quiet, Jack nodded. "I'm sure they'll be glad to hear from you."

"Yeah." Kai's voice had gotten quieter. Shaking his head rapidly, he perked back up. "Hey, man, listen, it was great hanging with you tonight, seriously. Welcome back, I guess! And hey, you got another friend now if you wanna talk or hang out sometime." As the two men waved, Kai started back off for the inn, then suddenly stopped and spun back around quickly, his dark eyes dancing. "...Douglas _WHAT_ Callahan?!"

"You heard nothing!" Jack shot back quickly, ducking into his house and slamming the door. Shaking his head and trying to keep the laughter inside, Kai finally made his way back to the Juniper Inn.

* * *

"Fire." A pause, as water sprinkled down upon a patch of green tomatoes. "I mean," Cliff continued, nodding in Jack's direction, "first a comment about getting burned. Now the bonfire. It... I'm sure of it, fire was involved somehow." In spite of the implications, Jack found that Cliff sounded oddly excited about the whole prospect.

It was the afternoon after the beach gathering, the two men making their way around the field and tending to the large patches of budding crops. "Maybe you exploded," Jack suggested, checking on the progress of his red onions. With some distaste, he noted they were looking a bit pale for their growth stage. "Why didn't I think about fertilizer...? I don't even know if they _sell_ it around here..."

"No harm asking. Clinic's right next to the market," Cliff pointed out. He trudged out of the field and into the shade of Jack's apple tree, sighing in relief. "Geez, and it's not even summer yet..."

Jack looked over his shoulder at his friend. "Oh, summer's a bitch. Definitely. Not too late to call it quits."

Cliff shook his head, pushing his sweat-plastered bangs from his forehead. "Not while you're paying me. Can't really stay at the inn and freeload forever. Who knows if I'll ever get my whole memory back?"

"Fire helps, right? Just become an arsonist," Jack suggested, slumping down next to him. "Set Louis on fire."

Chuckling, Cliff shoved Jack aside. "Do your own dirty work!"

The two sat in silent satisfaction beneath the apple tree, cicadas chirping and bees humming around the fully-watered fields in the hazy, shimmering heat. Stretching and groaning, Jack felt and heard a wonderful pop in his lower back as he stood up, brushing bits of dirt and bark off his freckled skin. "I guess it can wait... I gotta go get ready for my appointment." The two headed inside, Cliff making his way to the kitchen, and Jack slipping into the bathroom. "I've gotta skip lunch or I'll be late, but fix yourself whatever."

"You're gonna be naked in there," Cliff called back. "Not sure I have an appetite anymore."

The farmer smirked as he turned on the water, shouting one last retort before slamming the door: "I'm delicious!"

The hiss of the showerhead drowned out Cliff's mock-retching noises.

* * *

Elli perked up from her paperwork at the sound of the jingling bell. "Nervous?" she called, smiling. The farmer had his arms crossed tightly, scratching the back of one leg with his foot.

"My leg itches," Jack responded, crossing over to the desk. "I need to fill anything out before I see this guy? Or pay first?"

The nurse shook her head. "Trent's still got the records from your last visit. Any other pertinent information, he'll cover with you directly. But you can pay up front, sure." Her smile grew slightly, giving a polite nod as she counted out the money and made change from the till. "Here you go. Is that why you came early?"

Jack crossed his arms once more, rubbing his chin and staring at the ceiling, pretending to be deep in thought. "Now, _there's _a question I haven't heard since I was fifteen..."

Grimacing and sticking her tongue out, Elli swatted at him with a manila folder. "Yuck! Behave! You're gross."

"I'm a sweaty, burly farmer!" Jack cried, making exaggerated flexing motions. "I'm supposed to be gross! Hurrrrgh! Wahhhhahaha!"

Laughing, Elli waved him toward the far side of the lobby. "Alright, Burly Brennan. Go gross out Dr. Peng."

"You call them both Dr. Peng? Doesn't that get confusing?" Jack called back, Elli's reply muffled as the door clicked shut behind him.

"Jackson Brennan?"

Nodding, Jack stepped into the room - it was the same one Elli had dragged him into the previous week. Sitting in an armchair against one of the walls was a man in a sweater and slacks, his shaggy black hair and quiet, friendly demeanor being the only things keeping him from being a mirror image of Trent. _Well, and the laugh lines_, Jack thought wryly.

Standing up and holding his clipboard to his chest, Alex gave a slight bow and stuck out his hand. "Alex Peng. I'll be staying in Mineral Town for a little while. Very nice to meet you, Jackson."

Jack nodded, shaking the man's hand and settling down on the couch across from him. "You too. Uh, and just 'Jack' is fine."

Alex nodded, smiling. "Well, then, shall we begin?"

Propping his hands behind his head and crossing his legs, Jack shrugged, glancing up at the ceiling. "Umm... sure. Where?"

"Wherever you'd be most comfortable," Alex suggested, nodding. "The past? The present? The very beginning?"

"I guess that last one works..."

Jack found himself essentially recounting what he'd told Kai the night before - a simple life growing up in Mineral Town, working the farm with his parents. The occasional, expected arguments between child and parent - "Stuff like me skipping chores, running off to go play in the mines or at the lake," he explained. "I practically had to pull teeth to get them to let me take dancing lessons with Sasha and Duke, but they were pretty supportive when they saw what a natural I was..."

Realizing how close he was veering to talking about running away, Jack quickly veered into a summary of his time in the city: "Well... I mean, the friends I had there were okay, but I missed the ones I had here... the only thing I could really say is at least Surfport had more guys my age to hang out with. Here, it was just me and Rick at the time... I mean, the girls were pretty cool, too, but sometimes I just wanted... people I could relate to more."

Noticing Jack trailing off, Alex scratched something down on his notepad, turning his soft gray eyes to the farmer. "Change of scenery, then?"

Jack gave a small, derisive laugh. "You could say that... being a homeless kid living in the city? Not really fun. I mean, I got by. Flipped burgers, made the 'logical' progression-" he rolled his eyes at this, "-to stripping once I was legal. It paid more than sweeping the dining room at the Burger Empire." Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he added: "I... well, I-I did a few other things for money too, during slow weeks. I mean, I... I was about as safe about it as I could be, but-" His chest fell as the loud sigh escaped. "Hell, I'm lucky nobody hurt me or anything. Bet they'd love to know their son was a stupid little whore."

Alex watched Jack slump back on the couch, writing once more on his notepad. "It's often said we're our own worst critics and enemies... would they have called you such a thing?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or is it that you'd prefer they did?"

Taken aback by the question, Jack straightened up, fingers still laced behind his head. He worked his mouth open and closed a few times, no sound escaping. Finally, his hands slumped down into his lap, his gaze downcast. Alex's question had managed to strike the doubt he'd stubbornly put up whenever someone told him how much his parents had loved him, how much they had missed him and simply wanted him alive and back, how proud they would have been to see him taking responsibility - maybe they weren't all just empty comfort words...

Shaking his head, Jack glanced up at Alex uncertainly. "Wouldn't _you_ be disappointed if it were your child...?"

"I'd want my child to be happy, safe, and healthy," Alex replied calmly. "But we all do things we aren't proud of. Would I be disappointed? Yes. Slightly. But," he continued, seeing Jack slump down further, "they would still be my child, and I would love them no less. Now, I can't speak for your parents, but from what you've told me about them, I can't see them feeling any differently about the subject."

Jack wrung his fingers as he mulled these words over. "...Maybe you're right... they really were good to me," he mumbled. The next words came out with a little more work, but he had to say them out loud, to someone: "I found out, when I was in the city, that a lot of kids run away because they have it bad at home... sometimes I wonder if that's why Aja ran away. Things could sound pretty nasty at her place. But, I had it pretty good. Friends and family I cared about, great food on the table..." He swallowed hard. "It was after this stupid argument I had with my parents. I wanted to go off and join a dance troupe somewhere."

Alex said nothing, simply giving an encouraging nod. It took a few moments for Jack to get up the will to continue, his throat feeling tighter and tighter:

"Well, they didn't want me leaving so young, you know? Thirteen. I had to learn responsibility, grow up a bit, and make sure that was what I really wanted. Plus learn to actually manage money." A small chuckle escaped his throat at that. "I _really_ sucked with money. I've gotten a little better. I thought they just wanted to keep me on the farm... hold me back."

Curling one hand into a fist, he gently smacked the cushion. "Like they'd actually do that. But you try telling that to some dimwitted, self-absorbed teenager. So, I thought, well, I'll show them who can't take care of himself. Stole a bit of money from them, stowed away on the first boat out... convinced myself that a big, mature, grown-up man wouldn't need to rely on his parents. Even when things went bad, I was too proud of myself to even think of heading home. Too stupid..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Turned out I was too young for the troupe, and I'd spent all the money I had on crap like t-shirts and candy. I was a free man now, right? Doing whatever the hell I wanted..."

His next words were almost inaudible, his expression blank: "I ran away for nothing. And after a while, I was just too ashamed and scared to come back. A few days, then a few weeks... and it turned into all of this. I'd ask, 'Why bother now?', every single time I thought that maybe I should come back home. 'They'll wonder why I took so long. They'll be mad. I can't face them and tell them I was wrong'. I always had an excuse. I... just ruined _everything_ by being a selfish little bastard."

Sighing, Alex leaned forward. "It's normal to feel guilty about these things, Jack. But it doesn't do to live in the past forever." With no response from the morose farmer, he pressed on: "Let's put it like this... say you would divide things up into five parts: Mistakes, guilt, redemption, forgiveness, and closure. Do you feel there's a clear line between each, or do they all blur together?"

Sitting up straighter, Jack folded his arms across his abdomen, glancing at the far wall and tapping his foot as the answers flew around in his head. "I... don't know... I can't even see the last three," he admitted. "It... they feel weird to me. Like they don't belong. It's like the first two push them away. They want me all to themselves."

"Do you feel the last three could ever make their way in?" Alex continued. "That the mistakes and guilt will finally relent? After all, if you never move forward, they'll always seem strange, won't they?"

Chewing his lip thoughtfully, Jack shrugged. "I don't know how to reach them. Maybe I won't let myself..."

"That just might be so." Alex smiled warmly. "But there are others who want you to - friends who love you, warts and all, and want the best for you no matter what mistakes you've made. I think... maybe it's not a matter of those others forgiving you. They already have."

"Most of them," Jack cut in quickly. "From what I hear, Mrs. Welvin hates me... not that that matters much," he admitted offhandedly. "She kind of hates a lot of stuff. She hates Cliff's ponytail, too, from what he's told me - err, Cliff's one of my friends here. Kind of my unofficial farmhand." Scowling, he added bitterly: "And my girlfriend's mother... you know, I haven't seen either of them, really, since I came back. Don't really see any need to. I... Popuri and I, we're kind of having trouble lately, so I don't want to make it seem any more serious. I - I don't think we have a future, honestly... But Lillia was always such a kind person... I guess if I found out for certain..."

"It would hurt?"

"Yeah..." Jack's mouth had gone dry. "Kind of silly... but if someone as gentle as her can't forgive me - never mind the fact that I'm stressing her _daughter_ out by being a jerk..."

"Universal approval is an impossible goal," Alex stated quietly. "Even the kindest soul can hate, and the cruelest heart can love and forgive." Humming, he tapped his pencil on the clipboard a few times, before pointing it at Jack. "And back to forgiveness - I think, if you truly want to move forth and find what closure you can, you need to forgive yourself first and foremost. What do you believe it would take for you to forgive yourself?"

A full minute of silence passed between them, wrapping around the question hanging in the air as it awaited the answer. Carter had presented the same idea to him only a few short weeks ago - he hadn't quite given it the thought it deserved then. _Too busy beating myself up over and over. Feeling sorry for myself._

Alex sat patiently, watching Jack close his eyes and concentrate, breathing deep and even. His arms constantly switched positions - crossed over himself, behind his head, fingers occasionally picking at the couch or hands folding in his lap.

"I don't know," Jack finally sighed. "Guess I'll have to think it over..."

"I want you to," Alex agreed, setting his clipboard on a nearby desk. "Unfortunately, it looks to be getting late outside, so we'll have to bring this to an end for now." As Jack followed him to the door, he looked over his shoulder. "I'd like to see you again next week - same day and time. Think over what we discussed, and we'll pick up from there - but if you feel you need to see me sooner than that, contact me, Trent, or Elli right away. Is that alright?"

"Of course." Hand lingering on the doorknob, Jack stared down at the floor. "Thank you, Dr. Peng."

The therapist opened the door, leading Jack out into the lobby, where Elli and Cliff were chatting at the reception desk. "Alex will do. Ah, Elli. Schedule Jack in for the same time next week, please?"

Elli nodded, shooting Jack an encouraging smile as he shook Alex's hand and went over to join Cliff. "Of course. Cliff, here's that antacid."

Thanking her, Cliff exchanged a quick wave with Elli and Alex, turning to leave with Jack. Neither of them saw the curious stare the doctor shot in their direction. As the pair headed outside, however, Jack saw Cliff check back over his shoulder quickly, before the door clicked shut behind them.

"Forget something?" Jack asked, nudging the younger boy with his elbow.

"No..." Cliff shook his head, trying to pinpoint what, exactly, had set off the nagging feeling in his mind this time - nothing had particularly _seemed_ out of the ordinary. "I think something else kind of jarred my memory just a moment ago, but I'm not sure what now."

"Maybe it was the antacid." Jack snickered, earning him a light shove. "Hey, acid reflux burns like a fire inside you - ow!"

Cliff laughed, watching Jack rub his arm. "You're a brat!" The two of them headed into the supermarket, the odd feeling in Cliff's mind quickly forgotten.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Ah, a long time coming. Work, exhaustion, and writer's block struck in random order, but - in the end, here it is. So, Jack may be on the road to getting his shit together, right? Hopefully! Of course, hope springs eternal.

And, hey! Silent House is now officially over a year old! Neat! Thanks to everyone for reading along so far - as well as those who left feedback, who followed, who favorited... thanks a ton! Hopefully I've been able to bring a good story along so far. Well, I'll see everyone in chapter 15!


	15. The Art of Letting Go

**Now with an actual cover, because I'm feeling scenic.**

Chapter 15: The Art of Letting Go

* * *

"Hey, ay-yay-ay, that's the way I like it... blue skies, sunshine and summertiiiime!"

Jack's loud, off-key voice rang throughout the large, empty expanse of the Legacy Ranch as he lay on his back near the stable. Far above him, the pale blue June sky was gradually adopting a gold hue, the heat unrelenting even through the thick smear of dense, white clouds. The summer solstice wasn't on them yet, but its creeping tendrils had struck out and slapped a wave of nearly-uncomfortable heat upon Mineral Town nonetheless, prompting Jack to spend Opening Day in the cool shade of his stable, with a dozing Ginny for company. News of Kai's inevitable victory reached his ears in short order, regardless, as anything in town was wont to do.

In the few months since his return to Mineral Town, Jack had missed a few birthdays, buried under work and general forgetfulness - Elli's had slipped by far back in April, while Greg's had come and gone in the past Monday, coinciding with Jack's first appointment with Dr. Alex Peng.

Yet tomorrow, June 3rd, Popuri would be twenty-one years old. The party would be held at the Juniper Inn, bringing most of Mineral Town's younger crowd together, along with Trent and Mary - as per usual.

_I - I don't think we have a future, honestly..._

He knew he had to be there.

In the one time he'd seen her in the days following his first session with Alex, Jack had neglected to bring up any details. She hadn't seemed intent on asking, for that matter, preferring to discuss the upcoming party with him. The combination of Doug now possessing a karaoke machine, and the fact that Luke would be attending yet another gathering where alcohol was being served, set off alarm bells in Jack's head - never mind the sword of Damocles hanging above his and Popuri's heads the entirety of the party.

_It'll be fine, _he assured himself as he fixed dinner, sitting at his kitchen table and scowling at nothing. 'It' was the problem - what exactly _was_ this 'it'? Pushing his hair out of his eyes, he shook his head and groaned loudly. Too many questions, not enough answers. Always, always, always.

_Maybe I'll just leave it for Saturday, _he thought glumly, pulling his hair back into a short ponytail. It had gone without cutting for a few months now, partly due to the fact that Anna primarily handled the haircuts in town, and he wasn't letting that woman anywhere near his skull with a sharp object. _Well, hell. I'm likely to pull it all out soon anyway if I don't do something about this... just one more day. I'm not gonna let her stress about this on her birthday._

Groaning once more, Jack propped his chin on the table and stared glumly at his microwaved meatloaf.

"You got any ideas, buddy?" No response. The meatloaf merely bubbled morosely in its sauce. "Yeah, well, I don't have my shit together, either. Least you're already dead." He poked at the dish with his fork, causing a slight hiss of steam to escape. "You know, I'm not sure you're really even meat."

Still no response. Perhaps it had been offended by his remark.

Banging his chin lightly a few times against the glossy wooden surface, Jack laid into his dinner, mulling over how to approach Popuri the day after her birthday party. The breaking point had been reached, and it was only a matter of who would be the first one to bust past it and send the sword plummeting down.

* * *

"BREAK THE BUUUUUBBLE! BREAK IT UUUUUUUUP!"

The karaoke machine blared and blasted its decades-old glam rock, the drums swallowed under the growl of the guitars, and the screeching of the bespectacled redhead gripping the mic stand. His voice cracked frequently as it was stretched and abused beyond the natural limits of man or machine.

Thrusting his crotch obscenely against the stand with every _boom_ of the drums, Rick Aberlen continued his enraptured howling. The patrons of the Juniper Inn - save a headbanging Luke and a madly-laughing Kai - watched in horrified fascination.

"POOOOOOUR SOOOOOME! SUGAR ON MEEEEEEE! OOOOOH, IN THE NAME OF LUUUUUUUHHHHHV!" Unruly red mane flying every which way, he began to thrash his head wildly as he continued screaming, pinky and index fingers punching the air in lieu of horns. "_WAAAAAAAUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!_ C'MON, FIRE ME UUUUUUP!"

Tearing his eyes away from the most magical moment in music history, Jack made a beeline from the entrance of the inn to the bar, spotting Elli already perched primly upon a stool, back ramrod straight. To his surprise, she was nursing a screwdriver.

"Where's the birthday girl?!" he called over Rick's vocal tour de force, getting no response from the glum-looking nurse. "Hey! Elli!" he called, cupping his hands over his mouth. This caught her attention, and she turned to him numbly. "You okay?! Rick's not _that_ bad!"

Her warm brown eyes, normally so serene and sweet, were slightly unfocused and hollow. Fearing the worst, Jack leaned forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. Looking around, he spotted a particular blacksmith's apprentice, sulking in the far corner and staring into his drink. Off to the side, Rick played air guitar as he shrieked and strutted around, Luke contributing with his own air-drumming.

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly as he caught Gray's curious gaze. "Elli, what - did Gray-?"

Shaking her head, Elli pushed his hand down quickly, before knocking back the remainder of her drink. "Grandmother and Gregory were coupling," she announced suddenly, either not noticing or merely ignoring Jack's jaw practically meeting the floor. Despite speaking evenly, the power of her words cut straight through the noise. "Not that I oppose to such a notion, but I wish not to have seen them in the act, of course." Her voice had suddenly taken on what sounded like a slight English accent alongside the jarring turn in vocabulary, but Jack brushed it aside in favour of the more obvious issue:

"_Damn! _At their age, that's kind of awesome! Way to go, guys," he added under his breath. _Something to tease Gramps about when we go fishing next week. _He grinned deviously.

"It is quite the sight to behold. I thank the good Lord that dear young Stuart was away on a play date at the ranch." Sighing, Elli flagged down Doug as he passed with a few glasses of beer. "Sir, another one of those delightful concoctions, if you would."

Furrowing his bushy red eyebrows, Doug considered Elli for a moment, before slowly shaking his head. "No way. Listen to you. You're shitfaced. You're done."

"I am _fine_," the inebriated nurse declared dangerously. "I simply have things I wish to forget."

"Join the club... too damn bad." Turning to Jack, Doug gave a gruff nod. "You want something, though?"

"I'll take a mudslide," Jack responded, digging the money out of his pocket. Turning back to Elli, he placed a hand over hers, patting it consolingly. "C'mon, Ell. You've gotta admit, it's kind of sweet. Weren't you hoping they'd get back together?"

"It was comparable to watching Shar Pei whelps wrestle... oh, dear _God._" As Jack's mudslide was set down in front of him, Elli let out a horrified moan and buried her face in her hands.

Karen approached the pair, sliding onto a stool on the other side of Elli. She nursed her own drink, a bright blue mixture. "You're still not over that?" she admonished, raising an eyebrow. "Honey, I've walked in on my parents fucking on the kitchen counter before. Guess that's what I get for ditching Carter's lessons," she added in a dark tone, taking a swig of her drink. "God... I can still see Mom straddling Dad... oh, _God!_"

"_They weren't in their seventies!"_ Elli shot back through her hands.

Behind them, Rick - and Luke - finished up with a graceful bow, amid confused, scattered applause, and uproarious laughter from Kai. "Ooh, my turn's up in a moment," Karen added excitedly, setting her drink down. "What's up, Jack? Having fun yet?"

"Not as much fun as Gram and Gramps had, I bet," Jack quipped, grinning mischievously as Elli let out an anguished wail and tugged her hair. "You gonna be okay?" he added quickly, shooting his friend a concerned look.

"_Blind. Me._"

"She'll be fine," Karen sighed. "At worst, she talks like Kelsey Grammer and pukes after a few hours. I'll send Mary over to keep an eye on her. Lightweight," she added quietly. "So, you talk to Poppy yet?"

Craning his neck, Jack grunted. "Nah. I haven't s- oh, there she is." Next to the karaoke machine, the rose-haired birthday girl was chatting eagerly with Rick and Luke, giggling as she mimicked their air-guitar and headbanging. The two boys joined in, exchanging high-fives with her. "Guess she's having fun, then."

Patting Elli on the back, Karen nodded. A gentle acoustic guitar melody began to waft through the quiet room. Eyes were already eagerly watching her as she stood up. "Well, sounds like it's my turn! Enjoy yourselves, kids! Poppy wants to see you later," she added, nodding once more at Jack before she made her way to the karaoke machine, ponytail swinging behind her. Her voice flowed out, soft and sweet as it coated the large room like honey: "Rows and flows of angel hair, and ice cream castles in the air..."

The partiers fell into a quiet trance, the occasional whoop and holler from the crowd causing Karen to smirk as she continued singing.

"SHOW US YOUR BOOBS!"

"Shut up, Ann," Karen snapped amid the laughter, hoots, and scattered clapping. In spite of this, she grinned at her friend, slipping right back into the lyrics without missing a beat: "...From up and down, and still somehow..."

Catching Jack's eye, Popuri made her way near him, flicking her head in the direction of the door as she passed, exiting the inn. Puzzled, and feeling a slight knot in his stomach, Jack left his drink and followed her out into the muggy June evening. Karen's melodic voice faded as the door clicked shut behind them. Above their heads, he could feel the sword following, swinging silently.

The pair walked in tense silence along the sidewalk, heading out into Rose Square and taking a bench by the bulletin board. Hands folded in his lap, Jack swung his legs back and forth, chancing a hesitant glance at Popuri.

"So... happy birthday," he murmured, watching her stare up at the colorful sky with a small smile. "You enjoying it?"

Inhaling the summer air deeply, Popuri nodded, closing her eyes. "It feels so weird, you know? Every year... I never feel like I'm older. Like there's supposed to be some kind of sign, or thing you do."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Yeah? I just took em as they came, really... I figured I'd grow into it in the following year. But I still have a lot of growing up to do..."

Popuri sighed, staring at the ground. "Mmm. You and me both... I mean, Rick's told me before that I'm immature, but... he's my brother, and he's kind of a butthead, so I usually just ignore it." She smiled wryly. "But sometimes, I just... always feel like the kid sister. Rick's little sister. Rod and Lillia's youngest."

"A really friendly, sweet girl," Jack interjected encouragingly, putting a hand on her shoulder. To his chagrin, the words seemed to only deepen Popuri's thoughtful frown.

"Yeah... that's just it. 'Girl'. Not 'woman'. I..." Knitting her brows, Popuri turned to look at Jack. "Is that why... you act the way you do around me?"

The silence slammed down between them after those words rang in the breezy air. The distant murmur of the ocean and the far closer chirps of cicadas and crickets seemed to only swell and grow louder as Jack fought to loosen his tongue enough. Suddenly, he found himself wishing he'd downed his drink before following Popuri outside.

"I guess that wasn't fair to ask," Popuri interjected, before he could answer. She stared down at her lap, twisting her skirt in her hands.

"No," Jack protested, placing his hand over hers and causing her to look back up. "No - it - it was _absolutely_ fair! I've been such a jerk... If anything, it isn't fair for me to keep doing this to you. I just dragged you in without thinking, and... I don't have it together yet. I shouldn't have - I... I'm sorry."

Smiling sadly, the younger girl clasped Jack's hand in both of her own, patting it. "Jack, I don't know what's going on in your head... but what I really want is..." She trailed off, looking away thoughtfully. "I guess, well... I think it's best you focus on yourself for now... not us." Sucking in a deep breath once more, Popuri's next words came out in a slight stammer: "And I... I'll focus on myself. Not us. And... and... I think that'll help us both out." Squaring her shoulders, she gave him a firm nod.

With that, the sword fell with a deafening thud, rammed fast between them and stealing his breath for a brief moment with the finality of the impact.

Jack's stomach twisted, even as he felt the weight slipping from his shoulders and his chest, the conflicting maelstrom of feelings running wild in his bones. "Well, not exactly 'us' anymore, huh?" he murmured, his voice even and steady. "Popuri, I'm sorry I put you through all this. You don't deserve it. You're seriously a great person. I hope you find-"

"Shh..." Popuri put a finger to his lips, drawing him into a tight hug. "We've just both gotta... grow up a little, right?" Her voice was muffled by his shoulder, masking a slight tremble as his own arms wrapped around her. "At least we'll still be friends. We will, won't we?"

"Absolutely." Jack's breath escaped in a shaky sigh. "I wish we didn't have to do this on your birthday..."

"I'll be fine," Popuri assured him, neither of them moving to escape the hug quite yet. "I just want you to promise me you'll be fine, too, okay?"

"I..."

_You're so terrible, Jack!_

Jack screwed his eyes shut, willing the memories of his dreams to go away.

Another snippet of past conversation chided him: _It's not like I can snap my fingers and make it happen._

"I'll try." _I have to. I really have to._

The pair stayed in their bittersweet embrace a while longer, the ruby sun slipping into the ocean for its slumber, before Popuri spoke up once more:

"We should get back in..."

"Right... come on, birthday girl," Jack whispered, taking Popuri by the hand and helping her up. The two slipped back into the inn, the music hitting them once more. Luke was at the microphone now, his surprisingly excellent voice wrapped around an uptempo rock song, while Ann and Kai engaged in a bizarre, aggressive dance.

"Metal under tension, beggin' you to touch and go..."

"He's good, " Jack noted, impressed, seeing a few couples - to his endless amusement - slow-dancing to the aggressive, upbeat song as though it were a tender ballad. Mary and Trent, as before, were swaying on the spot, oblivious to anything else around them as their heads lay on each others' shoulders; even Gray and Elli held each other, revolving in place slowly while the drunk nurse prattled on to him about her traumatic experience at a pace that would astonish even Manna. Gray simply rolled his eyes and shook his head, patting his girlfriend's back clumsily.

"There... there...?"

Sighing, Jack turned to Popuri, holding out his hand. "Umm, hey... last dance?" he offered awkwardly. "C'mon, let's show em how you're _supposed _to dance to this song." Not that he necessarily found it a song fit for dancing in most cases, but he found the distraction all too welcoming at the moment.

Popuri seemed to agree. "I'd love to." She smiled, taking the offered hand, and they slipped into place by a furiously blushing Rick and Karen, Jack spinning Popuri and losing himself in the music. In spite of the events of the night, Jack found himself smiling as Luke's voice roared out about red line overloads and the danger zone.

As the song drew to a close, Luke's last note rang in the air to heavy applause.

"Encore!"

"Dude, you can sing your ass off!"

"FUCK YEAH! FIGHTER JETS!" Luke screamed, punching the air and whooping. "You guys want me to do Free Bird?" he added happily, to which Ann and Karen yelled out in protest and dragged him away from the karaoke machine.

"That song's like three hours long!" Ann declared, drowning out Luke's insistence.

The party went on normally afterward - after Elli had come to terms with the sex lives of the elderly and stopped rambling long enough to join in "Happy Birthday to You", the cake was brought out. A reluctant Mary was prodded up on stage to sing a sweet, hushed "I Will Remember You," after which Karen, Ann, and Kai embarrassed Popuri with a chaotic version of "Teenage Dream."

"Poppy's favorite song, ladies and gents!" Karen called, as the blushing birthday girl laughed and buried her face in her hands with a loud squeal. "Let's go all the way tonight - come on up, birthday girl, sing it!"

"Y-you and I, we'll be young forever!" Popuri squeaked into the microphone, shaking her head amid her nervous giggles.

A quick exchange of presents later - the crowning glory being a stunning, handmade moonstone barrette Gray presented, to much praise - the party wound down to a close around eleven o'clock. Luke was once again on the stage, crooning out a ballad:

"If I leave here tomorrow... man, Hayden's gotta get one of these things! ...Would you still remember me?"

"Last song of the night, Luke," Doug warned, carrying the leftovers into the kitchen. The carpenter nodded absently, continuing his song.

Holding her broom aside, Ann gave Popuri a quick, strong hug. "Glad you liked the dress! You're kinda hard to pick a color for," she teased, fluffing the girl's pink ponytail with the broom handle before going back to her sweeping. "Happy birthday, you little pink menace!"

Jack hung by the door, nodding his goodbyes to Karen as she escorted Elli home.

"They're probably asleep by now. You know how senior citizens are," Karen reassured the skittish brunette.

Elli rubbed her throbbing temples, her voice weak: "Karen?"

"Mmm?"

"I acted like a complete idiot, didn't I?"

"Oh, yeah. C'mon, hon, you've got work tomorrow morning..."

As Kai, Cliff, and Gray helped finish cleaning - Gray sternly snatching the microphone from Luke's hands and switching off the machine in the middle of "Free Bird" - Mary and Trent filed past, giving their goodbyes to everyone. Finally, Rick and Popuri approached after the latter exchanged her goodbyes with Luke. Rick shot Jack a somber look.

"Happy birthday," Jack said once more, giving Popuri a hug. Rick eyed them critically, sighing to himself.

"Thanks, Jack. You take care, okay?" Popuri shot him a small, tight smile, the barrette glittering in her ponytail. Somehow, she suddenly looked radiant - a little older.

Nodding, Jack waved to Rick, getting a curt nod in return. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he set off down Harrison Street, nodding once more as he passed Karen on her way back to the supermarket. Trent and Mary shared a quick, chaste goodnight kiss in front of Mary's house.

The night was dark and quiet, the faintest sliver of moon cloaked in the clouds rolling in off the water to the west. A rumble of thunder gave a gentle shake to the sky, Jack scowling to himself as he reached the farm.

Of their own accord, his feet stopped him in front of the patch of bright, blooming Pink Cat flowers he and Cliff had planted only two weeks ago - the birthday present he'd intended to give Popuri. It had been more than two weeks ago when things had started feeling wrong, but the sight left him dejected all the same. He hadn't missed Rick's once-again cold attitude, either, as he'd left.

_Just when I made up with him... well, maybe it's his problem, _he reasoned to himself. With a grunt, he kicked a patch of flowers, sending the bright pink petals scattering about. _It's not like she meant a lot to me, though...we both knew it was coming. Who the hell _didn't _know? I bet there was even a notice on the bulletin board. "Jack fucks up something else. Look surprised." _

Nonetheless, he let out another grunt, stomping another patch bitterly and grinding his shoe against them, pressing them against the moist earth. Bending down, he yanked all the flowers violently from the dirt, throwing them over the fence as hard as he could. Huffing, he turned to see the chicken farm in the distance, windows lit warmly in the late evening.

_Fuck it. It never happened. I'm sick of making mistakes whenever I do anything. Just another mistake..._

Letting out a deep, heavy sigh, he stormed into the dark, silent house, kicking his shoes off with little regard to where they landed and slamming the door loudly behind him. Stumbling into his room, he flopped facedown onto his bed, moaning. He knew that the sting would pass in due time, as it always did. His sleep, nonetheless, was filled with troubled dreams, snippets of various memories reeling through his subconscious - whether experienced awake or asleep.

When he awoke mere hours later, in the dead of night, he only found himself wondering why his parents hadn't shown up in any of those dreams.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Well, the inevitable has finally happened... Rick has butchered 80's glam rock. Oh, and Jack and Popuri broke apart. Least it was amicable! Seriously, I've been wanting to work that particular Rick scene - with that very song - in for nearly a year now (same with Elli's reaction to finding Ellen and Greg _in flagrante delicto_). It's one of my favorite scenes I've ever written.

Chapter was shorter than other recent entries, but I felt that adding anything more would feel forced and break up the mood I wanted to leave for the end. What's next for young, confused Jack? Well, you'll find out in chapter 16! I'm planning to go back to earlier chapters to fix up the time progression a bit - I feel like I wrote the jump from April to May in a very strange manner that ripped a huge chunk out of both months (especially since we just hit June), and I want to fix it and make it smoother.

Thanks as always to my loyal and wonderful reviewer, lavendercookie; and, of course, to good ol' Jersey S for her behind-the-scenes feedback, fun banter, support, and idea-bouncing (and general awesomeness).


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